To clarify the functional changes in the acoustic conduction pathway in the human immediately after birth, auditory brainstem responses (ABR) in 58 normal neonates were examined. In longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis, the peak latency of wave 1 showed significant shortening (p < 0.05) from 1.82 ± 0.23 ms (mean ± SD) at 30 min after birth to 1.69 ± 0.26 ms at 2 h after birth. It continued to decrease gradually therafter. The interpeak latency of waves 1–3 decreased gradually (not significant) from 2.82 ± 0.19 ms (30 min after birth) to 2.74 ± 0.15 ms (1 month after birth), while the interpeak latency of waves 3–5 decreased significantly from 2.63 ± 0.27 ms (30 min afterbirth) to 2.47 ± 0.23 ms (24 h after birth; p < 0.01). These results indicate that functional changes in the acoustic system immediately after birth represent rapid adaptation of the peripheral region to the extrauterine environment and development of the more central region.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.