CLINICAL APPLICATION AND STUDY OF BRAIN-STEM EVOKED AUDITORY POTENTIALS IN NEWBORNS WITH HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA

BAEPs were measured in 36 normal newborns and 31 hyperbi1irubinemic newbonns. ProlonRation of latencies of wave I, V, abnormalities in interpeak latencies of wave Ⅲ～Ⅴ and /or Ⅰ～Ⅴ were suggestive of bilirubin encephalopathy. Abnormal BAEP findings in normal term newborns and hyperbilirubinemic newborns were 2/36, 4/12, 7/11, 8/8 respectively. There are significant differences between them.The degree of abnormal BAEP findings were clearly associated with the bilirubin concentrations. The restult shows that the BAEP test is a useful tool for predicting early clinical signs of asytematic bilirubin encephalopathy.