Auditory Brainstem Responses in Newborns With Down Syndrome at a Japanese Perinatal Center

Background: Although many children with Down syndrome experience hearing loss, there have been little researches to investigate auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in newborns with Down syndrome. Methods: We examined ABRs in 24 Japanese newborns with Down syndrome at 20.6 ± 6.0 days after delivery compared with sex-, age- and weight-matched Japanese newborns without Down syndrome as control. Results: Wave I component latency (CL) was longer in ABRs of infants with Down syndrome than control newborns, while w ave V CL and the w ave III-V and w ave I-V interpeak latencies were shorter in ABRs of infants with Down syndrome than control newborns. Conclusions: The current results indicate the presence of developmental anomaly of the inner ear in newborns with Down syndrome. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2014;3(3):69-71 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/ijcp166w