Abstract
Neurodevelopment in late preterm infants has recently attracted considerable interest. The prevalence of brain stem conduction abnormality remains unknown. We examined maximum length sequence brain stem auditory evoked response in 163 infants, born at 33–36 weeks gestation, who had various perinatal problems. Compared with 49 normal term infants without problems, the late preterm infants showed a significant increase in III–V and I–V interpeak intervals at all 91–910/s clicks, particularly at 455 and 910/s (p < 0.01–0.001). The I–III interval was slightly increased, without statistically significant difference from the controls at any click rates. These results suggest that neural conduction along the, mainly more central or rostral part of, auditory brain stem is abnormal in late preterm infants with perinatal problems. Of the 163 late preterm infant, the number (and percentage rate) of infants with abnormal I–V interval at 91, 227, 455, and 910/s clicks was, respectively, 11 (6.5 %), 17 (10.2 %), 37 (22.3 %), and 31 (18.7 %). The number (and percentage rate) of infants with abnormal III–V interval at these rates was, respectively, 10 (6.0 %), 17 (10.2 %), 28 (16.9), and 36 (21.2 %). Apparently, the abnormal rates were much higher at 455 and 910/s clicks than at lower rates 91 and 227/s. In total, 42 (25.8 %) infants showed abnormal I–V and/or III–V intervals. Conclusion: Conduction in, mainly in the more central part, the brain stem is abnormal in late preterm infants with perinatal problems. The abnormality is more detectable at high- than at low-rate sensory stimulation. A quarter of late preterm infants with perinatal problems have brain stem conduction abnormality.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- BAER:
-
Brain stem auditory evoked response
- MLS:
-
Maximum length sequence
- nHL:
-
Normal hearing level
References
Adams-Chapman I (2006) Neurodevelopmental outcome of the late preterm infant. Clin Perinatol 33:947–964
Barros FC, Victora CG, Barros AJ, Santos IS, Albernaz E, Matijasevich A, Domingues MR, Sclowitz IK, Hallal PC, Silveira MF, Vaughan JP (2005) The challenge of reducing neonatal mortality in middle-income countries: findings from three Brazilian birth cohorts in 1982, 1993, and 2004. Lancet 365:847–854
Billiards SS, Pierson CR, Haynes RL, Folkerth RD, Kinney HC (2006) Is the late preterm infant more vulnerable to gray matter injury than the term infant? Clin Perinatol 33:915–933
Buitendijk S, Zeitlin J, Cuttini M, Langhoff-Roos J, Bottu J (2003) Indicators of fetal and infant health outcomes. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 111(Suppl 1):S66–S77
Coenraad S, Goedegebure A, van Goudoever JB, Hoeve LJ (2010) Risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss in NICU infants compared to normal hearing NICU controls. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 74:999–1002
Cox LC, Hack M, Metz DA (1984) Auditory brain stem response abnormalities in the very low birthweight infant: incidence and risk factors. Ear Hear 5:47–51
Davidoff MJ, Dias T, Damus K, Russell R, Bettegowda VR, Dolan S, Schwarz RH, Green NS, Petrini J (2006) Changes in the gestational age distribution among U.S. singleton births: impact on rates of late preterm birth, 1992 to 2002. Semin Perinatol 30:8–15
Fligor BJ, Neault MW, Mullen CH, Feldman HA, Jones DT (2005) Factors associated with sensorineural hearing loss among survivors of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy. Pediatrics 115:1519–1528
Jiang ZD (2012) Maximum length sequence technique improves detection of neuropathology involving infant brainstem. In: Lawson PN, McCarthy EA (eds) Pediatric neurology. Nova Science, New York, pp 1–38
Jiang ZD (2012) Later preterm birth and the developing brainstem. In: Contreiras D, Sampaio J (eds) Preterm infants: development: prognosis and potential complications. Nova Science, New York, pp 39–54
Jiang ZD, Brosi DM, Wang J, Xu X, Chen GQ, Shao XM, Wilkinson AR (2003) Time course of brainstem pathophysiology during first month in term infants after perinatal asphyxia, revealed by MLS BAER latencies and intervals. Pediatr Res 54:680–687
Jiang ZD, Xu X, Brosi DM, Shao XM, Wilkinson AR (2007) Suboptimal function of the auditory brainstem in term neonates with transient low Apgar scores. Clin Neurophysiol 118:1088–1096
Jiang ZD, Brosi D, Wu YY, Wilkinson AR (2009) Relative maturation of the peripheral and central regions of the auditory brainstem from preterm to term and the influence of preterm birth. Pediatr Res 65:657–662
Jiang ZD, Pin LL, Wilkinson AR (2012) Functional abnormality of the auditory brainstem in high-risk late preterm infants. Clin Neurophysiol 123:993–1001
Jiang ZD, Brosi DM, Yin R, Wilkinson AR (2012) Term neonates receiving intensive care at high risk of brainstem auditory impairment. Arch Dis Child-Fetal 97:F359–F361
Li ZH, Chen C, Jiang ZD (2010) Maximum length sequence brainstem auditory evoked response in low-risk late preterm babies. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 24:536–540
Marlow N, Wolke DM, Bracewell MA, Samara M (2005) Neurologic and developmental disability at six years of age after extremely preterm birth. N Engl J Med 352:9–19
Meyer C, Witte J, Hildmann A, Hennecke KH, Schunck KU, Maul K, Franke U, Fahnenstich H, Rabe H, Rossi R, Hartmann S, Gortner L (1999) Neonatal screening for hearing disorders in infants at risk: incidence, risk factors and follow-up. Pediatrics 104:900–904
Moser K, Macfarlane A, Chow YH, Hilder L, Dattani N (2007) Introducing new data on gestation-specific infant mortality among babies born in 2005 in England and Wales. Health Stat Q 35:13–27
Newton V (2001) Adverse perinatal conditions and the inner ear. Semin Neonatol 6:543–551
Odd DE, Emond A, Whitelaw A (2012) Long-term cognitive outcomes of infants born moderately and late preterm. Dev Med Child Neurol 54:704–709
Petrini JR, Dias T, McCormick MC, Massolo ML, Green NS, Escobar GJ (2009) Increased risk of adverse neurological development for late preterm infants. J Pediatrics 154:169–176
Romeo DM, Stefano AD, Conversano M, Ricci D, Mazzone D, Romeo MG, Mercuri E (2010) Neurodevelopmental outcome at 12 and 18 months in late preterm infants. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 14:503–507
Talge NM, Holzman C, Wang J, Lucia V, Gardiner J, Breslau N (2010) Late-preterm birth and its association with cognitive and socioemotional outcomes at 6 years of age. Pediatrics 126:1124–1131
Wilkinson AR, Brosi DM, Jiang ZD (2007) Functional impairment of the brainstem in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Pediatrics 120:362–371
Wilkinson AR, Jiang ZD (2006) Brainstem auditory evoked response in neonatal neurology. Semin Fetal Neonatol Med 11:444–451
Acknowledgments
The doctors and nurses in the neonatal unit are gratefully appreciated for their support and assistance in recruiting of subjects and collecting of data. The research was supported by the WellChild and Bridging Support Fund and Medical Sciences Division of Oxford University, UK.
Conflict of interest
There are no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jiang, Z.D. Neural conduction abnormality in the brain stem and prevalence of the abnormality in late preterm infants with perinatal problems. Eur J Pediatr 172, 1033–1038 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-013-1989-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-013-1989-4