Effects of Age, Gender and Ear Side on SOAE Parameters in Infancy and Childhood

Abstract

We investigated 267 infants and children aged 9 days to 16.8 years to study the spontaneous otoacoustic emission (SOAE) data prevalence, number per ear, level and frequency as a function of growth. Dependence on age, gender and ear side was statistically analyzed using the method of generalized estimation equations. Except in the 1st year of life, SOAE prevalence per ear and SOAE number per ear decreased significantly with increasing age. Both SOAE parameters were significantly higher in female than in male subjects, with gender difference of SOAE prevalence per ear being more distinct in the 1st year of life. Although a clear ear side effect on SOAE prevalence per ear could already be seen in ears of female children in this age group, only SOAE number per ear was significantly higher in right ears than in left ears from the 1st year of life on. Except in the first 12 months, SOAE level and SOAE frequency decreased significantly with increasing age. Neither a significant gender difference nor a significant ear side difference could be determined. Our results found in infancy and childhood are discussed within the framework of the current literature.

Otoacoustic emissions and effects of contralateral white noise stimulation on transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in diabetic children

“…Several previous surveys present an incidence of SOAE of 30-40% [28][29][30][31]. We found that the incidence of SOAE tended to be higher in DM children than controls (45% versus 32%, respectively).…”

Characterization of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions in full-term newborns

“…However, these findings were not in accordance with the findings from other studies [13]. Also, the current study did not show any significant differences in SOAE numbers with respect to either gender or ear-side.…”

“…Both gender-and ear-side-related differences demonstrated in full-term neonates in the present study are in accordance with the findings of other studies [13][14][15][16]. The gender dimorphism in SOAE production may result from differential prenatal exposure to androgens.…”

“…The right-ear advantage in SOAE production has been observed not only in adults but also in children [4,13]. In preterm neonates, Morlet et al [5] found a SOAE prevalence of 79% for the right ear and 72% for the left ear, whereas Khalfa et al [22] showed a significantly higher prevalence in right ears.…”

Spontaneous Otoacoustic Emission Enhancement in Children with Reduced Speech-in-Noise Intelligibility

“…Eighty-five percent of the children with reduced speech-in-noise intelligibility had detectable SOAE greater than 5 dB (89% with SOAE greater than 2.5 dB), a significantly higher number when compared to the control group. Increased prevalence of SOAE could be due to a higher proportion of females [Burns et al, 1992;Lamprecht-Dinnesen et al, 1998], which is not the case in our study, where the proportion of females was one third in both groups.…”