AN OBJECTIVE TEST OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN CHILDREN BELONGING TO AGE GROUPOF 1-5 YEARS, USING BRAINSTEM EVOKED RESPONSEAUDIOMETRY.

AIM: To evaluate and to analyze hearing impairment in auditory pathway in children with compromised hearing ability using brainstem evoked response audiometry. SUBJECTAND METHOD: Total 25 children between 1-5 years with compromised hearing ability were subjected to brainstem evoked response audiometry. Click stimuli were given having intensity of approximately 60db or above and the waveforms were recorded. They were labeled I to VII waves, of which I, III and V waves are the most visible and more significant waves. RESULT: Totally 25 children were taken for study. Out of them, 20 (80%) had bilateral hearing loss with no wave pattern and remaining five, out of them 3 children had bilateral hearing loss while 2 had unilateral hearing loss. Difficult labour was most commonly associated risk factor for hearing impairment. CONCLUSION: We believe that a larger sample and the follow up of these infants at risks by means of the study of BERA may offer valuable information on the state of maturation of the acoustic pathway achieved by the children