Auditory brain stem responses of premature infants to bone-conducted stimuli: a feasibility study.

The feasibility of bone conduction auditory brain stem response (ABR) audiometry in intensive care nursery neonates was investigated. Forty premature infants were tested with both air- and bone-conducted stimuli. Bone-conducted stimuli resulted in more identifiable ABRs and a greater number of subjects passing the hearing screening. The findings of this study suggest that bone conduction ABR audiometry is a feasible technique with premature infants. Due to the lower frequency composition of the bone-conducted click, it may be more effective than an air-conducted click when the immature cochlea is being evaluated.