The long-term objectives of this study are to determine how external and middle ear factors affect neonatal hearing screening results by auditory brainstem response (ABR) and click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) in well newborns.
The specific aims are: 1) to determine whether cleaning of vernix from the ear canal significantly decreases the failure rate for ABR and EOAE; 2) to determine whether decreased tympanic membrane mobility found on otoscopic examination increases the failure rate for ABR and EOAE hearing screening in well newborns; 3) to determine whether the pass rates for ABR and EOAE differ for two groups of infants: one group aged less than 24 hours, and one group aged greater than 24 hours. The methods involve testing 350 infants born at the University of California Irvine over six months during the immediate postpartum period from 4 to 48 hours. Each infant will undergo ABR via an automated screening device (ALGO-1), as well as EOAE screening with the Otodynamics ILO88 device. Each infant will be examined by an otolaryngologist with a hand-held otoscope, to look for external canal debris If present, the debris will be cleaned, and the mobility of the tympanic membrane will be noted. Then ABR and EOAE testing will be repeated in all infants following otoscopic examination.. Data analysis will compare the pass rates for ABR and EOAE before and after cleaning. ABR and EOAE pass rates will be compared for ears with decreased tympanic membrane mobility. The pass rates for EOAE and ABR will be compared for infants younger than 24 hours and for infants older than 24 hours. The results of this study will provide information about the condition of the normal newborn's external canal and tympanic membrane at birth, and relate this information to screening results with ABR and EOAE. Universal hearing screening of newborns is a goal nationwide, and this study will help in the decision as to the type and timing of screening to be used. The long-term objectives of the investigators are to continue to study the relationship between early otologic findings and later otologic disease and hearing loss.
| Doyle, K J; Rodgers, P; Fujikawa, S et al. (2000) External and middle ear effects on infant hearing screening test results. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 122:477-81 |
| Doyle, K J; Fujikawa, S; Rogers, P et al. (1998) Comparison of newborn hearing screening by transient otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response using ALGO-2. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 43:207-11 |
