Mild maturational delay of the brainstem at term in late preterm small-for-gestation age babies

Small-for-gestation birth exerts a minor additional effect on functional impairment of the auditory brainstem in high-risk babies born at late preterm

“…Clearly, the impairment in high-risk SGA babies is fundamentally or mainly produced by some associated perinatal problems, instead of the SGA birth. The previous MLS BAER study in low-risk late preterm babies revealed a mild maturational delay of the auditory brainstem in those born of SGA, compared with those born of AGA (Jiang and Li, 2015). In the present study, there were only small differences in the MLS BAER abnormalities between the high-risk SGA and AGA late preterm babies.…”

“…In a previous study of MLS BAER in low-risk SGA late preterm babies, we did not find any major abnormalities in these babies (Jiang and Li, 2015). Compared with age-matched low-risk AGA late preterm babies, the low-risk SGA babies showed a slight increase in wave latencies and interpeak intervals.…”

“…MLS BAER wave amplitudes in the low-risk SGA late preterm babies tended to be reduced at some click rates. These marginal abnormalities are indicative of a mild degree of maturational delay in the brainstem auditory pathway, and SGA occurring in late preterm babies has a minor effect on neural maturation of the immature brainstem auditory pathway (Jiang and Li, 2015). In contrast, the high-risk SGA late preterm babies in the present study showed major MLS BAER abnormalities, including a significant increase in wave V latency at all click rates used and in the I-V and III-V intervals at higher click rates.…”

“…The general study procedures, approved by the Ethics Committee of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, were the same as we previously reported (Jiang and Li, 2015;Jiang et al, 2012Jiang et al, , 2015Wilkinson et al, 2007). The recording, using Nicolet Spirit 2000 Portable Evoked Potential System (Nicolet Biomedical Inc. Madison, WI, USA), was made while the infant fell asleep naturally, often after a feed.…”

“…With the maximum length sequence (MLS) BAER -a relatively new technique of recording and processing BAER to increase detectability of abnormalities, we have recently studied brainstem auditory function in SGA late preterm babies who had no major perinatal conditions or problems, i.e. low-risk SGA babies (Jiang and Li, 2015). No major abnormalities were found, except for an increase in wave III and V latencies and I-V interval at certain click rates, suggesting a mild degree of maturational delay in the brainstem auditory pathway.…”