Ms Florencia Montes1
1Audiologist, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, Sydney, Australia
Background:
It is well recognised the association between hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction, as well as it is the importance of early detection and intervention to improve outcomes and quality of life. Some studies suggest nearly half of children with SNHL show vestibular end-organ dysfunction. Despite the well-known consequences of a vestibular dysfunction in a child’s development, vestibular function is not routinely assessed. UNHS poses an opportunity to screen for vestibular function in infants diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss. Two studies have shown that it is feasible to incorporate vestibular screening with C-VEMP as part of a universal newborn hearing screening program.
Aim:
Our pilot study aimed at assessing the feasibility and challenges of incorporating C-VEMP testing at the time of the infant hearing assessment, the ability to record a response to AC and BC stimulation in infants less than 3 months old, and to collect normative data for infants.
Methodology:
100 infants < 3 months of age (mean age 3 weeks) were tested with C-VEMP to both Bone conduction (BC) and Air conduction (AC) stimulation, after normal hearing was established with ABR.
Preliminary Results:
It was possible to integrate vestibular screening during the hearing assessment in most appointments, parent’s acceptance was high. Reproducible responses were obtained in most infants with normal hearing (>87%). There was a significant difference in the median corrected/normalised amplitude for BC compared to AC VEMP, with a mean VEMP response amplitude nearly doubling in size for BC stimulation. BC stimulation may be preferably for testing in infants, due to increased rate of middle ear dysfunction and a more robust response.
Biography:
Florencia is the shared Head of the Audiology Department at Sydney Children’s Hospital. She has extensive experience in the electrophisiological assessments of infants.