RISK-FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HEARING-LOSS IN TERM NEONATES WITH HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA

A study of 128 jaundiced term neonates showed that 28 (22 per cent) had hearing loss based on brain stem-evoked response. There was no significant difference in the percentage of neonates with hearing loss between those with peak serum bilirubin levels of less than 340 mu mol/l (16 per cent) and those with hyperbilirubinaemia > 339 mu mol/l (33 per cent) (P = 0.11). Logistic regression analysis showed that severe jaundice which required exchange transfusion and earlier age of onset of hyperbilirubinaemia were statistically significant risk factors associated with hearing loss (P = 0.038 and P = 0.012, respectively).