BRAINSTEM EVOKED RESPONSE AUDIOMETRY (BERA) IN NEONATES WITH HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY IN INDIAN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Introduction: Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common clinical sign in neonatal medicine and is a common cause of sensory neural hearing loss and auditory neuropathy. If not controlled, hyperbilirubinemia can lead to hyperbilirubinemic encephalopathy, or neonatal death. Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) has expanded the possibility of objective testing of hearing functions. This is an effective and simple method and measures the specific part of the auditory pathway. Hence the present study was designed to determine the initial BERA abnormalities and hearing loss in term neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia, to compare the findings of BERA between the cases (hyperbilirubinemic neonates requiring treatment that is total Serum Bilirubin >15 mg/dl) and controls (hyperbilirubinemic neonates not requiring treatment that is total serum bilirubin < 12 mg/dL) and also to compare initial BERA findings with follow up BERA findings at two to four months. Methods: This is prospective Case control study conducted between July 2012 to Sept 2014 in Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune India. 120 neonates as cases and 120 neonates as controls were included in the study. Conclusion: Hearing loss and BERA abnormalities was significantly more among cases with total serum bilirubin levels>15 mg/dL compared to neonates with total serum bilirubin < 12mg/dL in neonatal nursery unit. BERA is a simple, effective and reliable and non-invasive technique for determining auditory functions in the neonates with hyperbilirubinemia