Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) have been widely used in neonatal hearing screening programs. In the past years, a closer analysis of TEOAE has shown some unexplored characteristics of the peripheral auditory system. AIM: The aim of this paper was to study the TEOAE response amplitude in term and pre-term neonates, as a function of the ear side, gender, frequency spectrum and post-conception age. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical prospective. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 526 newborns, 440 born at term and 86 pre-term neonates divided in two groups: one with post-conception age varying from 31 to 36 weeks and the second one with post-conception age varying from 37 to 44 weeks. The TEOAE test was performed in a non-acoustically treated environment with ILO 88 - Otodynamics Otoacoustic Emission Analyzer, in the Quickscreener mode. RESULTS: The results showed a statistically significant asymmetric mean amplitude response in favor of the right ear, the females, the high frequency bands and the newborns with higher post-conception age. These differences observed between the mean amplitudes of the TEOAE of term and pre-term newborns suggest that the amplitude of TEOAE, besides providing an evidence of the integrity of the peripheral auditory system, may be used as an indicator of the maturation of the peripheral auditory system in newborns.
acoustical stimulation; cochlea; neonate; otoacoustic emissions; neonatal screening
