HEARING-LOSS IN VERY LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS TREATED WITH NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE

The hearing of 111 perinatal intensive care survivors of birthweights 1500 g or less was assessed at a mean age of 6 1/2 years (range 4-12). These 111 infants included 86% of the long-term survivors of this birthweight cared for in the newborn unit of University College Hospital, London, during the years 1966-72. All these infants were nursed in commercially available incubators for periods ranging from 2 to 80 days (mean 37) in which mean noise threshold was 65 dB. Ten (9%) had sensory neural hearing losses, one (1%) infant had a congenital conductive hearing loss, and 21 (19%) infants had exudative otitis media with a mean loss of 25 dB. Apnoeic attacks in the neonatal period were the most significant predictors of hearing loss in these infants (P<0.05) and an indirect serum bilirubin level of at least 170 μmol/l (10 mg/100 ml) in the neonatal period had an additive effect (P<0.05). There was no evidence that ambient noise had affected the hearing of these very low birthweight infants.