Effects of Sex on Auditory Brainstem Responses in Infancy and Early Childhood

Abstract
The effects of sex on I–III, III–V and I–V interwave intervals and I, III, V ABR waves latency values have been studied in 171 normal children born at term, 94 males and 77 females, aged between 2 and 720 days. The obtained data confirm that latency values decrease progressively with age, and show that there is a statistically significant difference in wave III and V latency values and in III–V and I–V intervals between males and females. Moreover, these differences seem to increase with age. The authors also discuss the possible underlying mechanisms and claim that even in infancy, sex-related variability should be taken into account.