Iron Deficiency Anemia and Hearing

Abstract

Iron deficiency anemia is a frequently occurring clinical disorder. Despite the suggested association with hearing loss in the literature, cochlear sequelae of iron deficiency have yielded conflicting results in experimental studies. Auditory function was tested in iron-deficient and normal male Wistar albino rats using distortion product otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response audiometry for the clarification of the opposing results in the literature. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron and albumin levels were monitored to verify iron deficiency. Although dramatic differences in weight gain and blood test parameters were noted, no significant change in auditory function due to iron deficiency was detected.

Mild iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy and lactation in guinea pigs alters amplitudes and auditory nerve velocity, but not brainstem transmission times in the offspring's auditory brainstem response

“…48,49 In IDA rodents, alterations in auditory acuity and cellular damages, as well as sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) 50 are described, whereas others reported no effects. 51 Premature infants with in utero latent ID exhibit abnormal auditory neural maturation, 40 while prenatal iron deprivation in monkeys induces changes in the juveniles' behaviour, but not in cerebral white matter or ABR. 6 Conversely, foetal ID induced drastic alterations in CNS development ( prolonged latencies) in rodents, 39 as well as disruption in axon maturation of the auditory nerve.…”