Evoked Response Audiometry in Newborn Infants

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The auditory evoked responses of normal infants during natural sleep were recorded using an averaging computer. The evoked responses had two prominent components (P2 and N2), which in deep sleep were of larger amplitude and of longer peak latency than in light sleep. The infants showed lower thresholds to lower frequency stimuli. The thresholds of infants less than two days old were higher than those of older infants. The peak latency of component N, was longer in younger infants especially in deep sleep. There was a significant air-bone gap in the thresholds of infants under two days old; this indicates a conductive hearing impairment in the early days after birth. Infant maturity cannot be determined precisely through study of the evoked resonpses because of their great variability.