Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Neonatal hearing assessment in very low birth weight infants exposed to antenatal steroids

Journal of Perinatology volume 28, pages 67–70 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

We sought to evaluate neonatal hearing assessment by the otoacoustic emission (OAE) test in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants exposed to antenatal steroids.

Study Design:

This is a retrospective cohort study of infants <1500 g delivered between July 1998 and July 2004 who completed hearing screens on discharge. All screens were performed by the OAE. Only infants who failed or passed the exam were included in the analysis. Infants with a partial or an inadequate exam were excluded. Neonates exposed to antenatal steroids were then compared to unexposed infants for the results of their OAE.

Result:

A total of 68 000 deliveries were performed during the study period. There were 703 VLBW infants who had hearing exams, of which 548 (78%) passed the screen, 95 (14%) failed and 59 (8%) were indeterminate. Gestational age, birth weight, score for neonatal acute physiology and severe intraventricular hemorrhage were associated with a failed screen (P<0.01). Antenatal steroid exposure was not associated with a failed screen (odds ratio: 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.5–1.4), P=0.43).

Conclusion:

In our population, antenatal steroids were not associated with a positive or negative effect on hearing assessment of VLBW infants.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. NIH Consensus Development Panel. Effect of corticosteroids for fetal maturation on perinatal outcomes. JAMA 1995; 273: 413–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Jobe AH, Ikegami M . Fetal responses to glucocorticoids. In: Mendelson CR (ed). Endocrinology of the Lung. Humana Press: Totawa, 2000, pp 45–57.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Tabor BL, Rider ED, Ikegami M, Jobe AH, Lewis JF . Dose effects of antenatal corticosteroids for induction of lung maturation in preterm rabbits. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1991; 165: 675–681.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Matthews SG . Antenatal glucocorticoids and programming of the developing CNS. Pediatr Res 2000; 47: 291–300.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Uno H, Lohmiller L, Thieme C, Kemnitz JW, Engle MJ, Roecker EB et al. Brain damage induced by prenatal exposure to dexamethasone in fetal rhesus macaques. I. Hippocampus. Brain Res Dev Brain Res 1990; 53: 157–167.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Huang WL, Beazley LD, Quinlivan JA, Evans SF, Newnham JP, Dunlop SA . Effect of corticosteroids on brain growth in fetal sheep. Obstet Gynecol 1999; 93: 213–218.

    Google Scholar 

  7. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Early identification of hearing impairment in infants and young children. NIH Consens Statement 1993; (1): 1–24.

  8. Vohr BR, Carty LM, Moore PE, Letourneau K . The Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Program: experience with statewide hearing screening (1993–1996). J Pediatr 1998; 133 (3): 353–357.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Richardson DK . Score for neonatal acute physiology: a physiologic severity index for neonatal intensive care. Pediatrics 1993; 91: 617–623.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Papile LA, Burstein J, Burstein R, Koffler H . Incidence and evolution of subependymal and intraventricular hemorrhage: a study of infants with birth weights less than 1500 gm. J Pediatr 1978; 92: 529–534.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Northway Jr WH, Rosan RC, Porter DY . Pulmonary disease following respiratory therapy of hyaline-membrane disease. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia. N Engl J Med 1967; 276: 357–368.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Ballard JL, Khoury JC, Wedig K, Wang L, Eilers-Walsman BL, Lipp R . New ballard score, expanded to include extremely premature infants. J Pediatr 1991; 119: 417–423.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Anonymous. Antenatal corticosteroids revisited: repeat courses. NIH Consens Statement 2000; 17: 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Amin S, Guillet R . Auditory neural maturation after exposure to multiple courses of antenatal betamethasone in premature infants as evaluated by auditory brainstem response. Pediatrics 2007; 119: 502.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Mason J, Herrmann K . Universal infant hearing screening by automated auditory brainstem response measurement. Pediatrics 1998; 101: 221–228.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    T P Waters, N Silva & J M Denney

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Christiana HealthCare, Christiana Hospital, Christiana, DE, USA

    A C Sciscione

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology Christina Care Health Services, Newark, DE, USA

    D A Paul

  4. Department of Pediatrics, duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA

    D A Paul

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    D A Paul

Authors
  1. T P Waters
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J M Denney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A C Sciscione
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. D A Paul
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J M Denney.

Additional information

Author's disclosure: All of the authors state that they have no financial interests that would be viewed as a potential conflict of interest. Moreover, we report that the data contained in this study have not been presented in any other published format. These data were presented in abstract form at the 2006 annual clinical meeting of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine in Miami, FL, USA.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Waters, T., Silva, N., Denney, J. et al. Neonatal hearing assessment in very low birth weight infants exposed to antenatal steroids. J Perinatol 28, 67–70 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211862

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211862

Keywords

Search

Advanced search

Quick links