Auditory Brainstem Response in Newborns with Hyperbilirubinemia

Background and Objectives Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is one of the important causative factors of sensorineural hearing loss including auditory neuropathy. The auditory brain stem response (ABR) is widely used as a screening or diagnostic tool for newborn hearing loss. This study aimed to analyze serial ABR results of newborns with severe hyperbilirubinemia.Subjects and Method This study examined 120 full term infants treated for hyperbilirubinemia in the neonatal intensive care unit. The first ABR was performed within one month after birth. Follow-up tests were conducted in patients with abnormal results (25 cases). The control group was composed of 21 healthy newborns who passed the newborn hearing screening.Results The mean ABR threshold was higher in the newborns with hyperbilirubinemia than in the control group (43.8 dB nHL versus 30.0 dB nHL, p???0.001). Of the 25 newborns who underwent follow-up ABR, 15 newborns demonstrated recovery of the hearing threshold up to 30 dB nHL. The hearing threshold did not improve below 50 dB nHL for five newborns, of whom one was diagnosed with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. There was no difference in the mean ABR interwave latency between newborns with hyperbilirubinemia and the control group.Conclusion Neonates with hyperbilirubimenia might suffer transient or permanent hearing loss. Serial ABR tests might be essential for the diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss in patients with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia