Transients and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in term newborn

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the amplitude peaks of the transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and the amplitude peaks of the spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE) in term new-borns, without risk indicators for hearing loss. The sample was composed by 100 newly born, with chronological age between 25 and 72 hours, being 43 male and 57 female. All the newly born presented EOAET in the three frequency bands studied. The occurrence of the EOAE unilateral and bilateral was of 78 percent, being 55% to gender feminine and 45% gender masculine, without difference statistically significant. According to the side, it had the prevalence for the left ear, therefore, without difference stastically significant . The presence of bilateral EOAE was similar in both sexes. When the occurrence was unilateral, the answers did not differ according to the side of the ear. The bilateral answers (85%) were more frequent than the unilateral ones (15%). EOAE showed larger concentration of the peaks in the band between 3 and 4 kHz (25%) and between 4 and 5 kHz (18,5%). In addition, it was observed a dependence between the amplitude peaks in the band from 2 to 4 kHz in EOAET and the frequency bands between 2 and 3 kHz, and 3 and 4 kHz of EOAE. The high occurrence of EOAE observed in this study, as well as the influence of its presence in the amplitude peaks of EOAET reveals the importance of the knowledge of its existence and main characteristics. Therefore, the results suggest that the possibility of clinical application of EOAE should not be removed.