EVALUATION OF AUDITORY-SYSTEM IN PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN WHOSE MOTHERS HADMID-2ND TRIMESTER AMNIOCENTESIS

A prospective study nas conducted in the Otorhinolaryngology departmen t, National University Hospital, Singapore to evaluate the effects of mid-trimester amniocentesis on the auditory system in preschool childr en of about four years of age. Fifty-nine children whose mothers had m id-second trimester amniocentesis and 63 children (control group) whos e mothers did not have amniocentesis in that pregnancy were recruited. The children were subjected to audiological tests to assess hearing i mpedance abnormalities. The incidence of prematurity, neonatal admissi ons, ear and respiratory infections, auditory function, speech and lan guage development in children were evaluated because these factors hav e a bearing on the development of auditory impedance abnormalities. Th ere was no significant increase in the neonatal admission rates, impai rment of speech and language development and auditory function in chil dren whose mothers had mid-second trimester amniocentesis compared wit h the control group whose mothers did not have amniocentesis. An incid ental finding in this study was an increased incidence of respiratory illnesses in the children in the amniocentesis group (57.6%) compared with the control group (30.1%). This needs further evaluation with a p roperly designed study.