AUDIOLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS IN FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME ASSESSED BY BRAIN-STEM AUDITORY-EVOKED POTENTIALS

In 29 of 36 children with fetal alcohol syndrome brainstem auditory-ev oked potentials were per formed and the auditory threshold tvas determ ined. The hearing of patients with a pathologic finding tvas then subj ect to a thorough ear-nose-throat examination. Additionally the IQ was determined and an audiolinguistic examination was carried out. Sevent y-five % of the children showed a peripheral hearing disorder on the b asis of conductive hearing loss. In two children (7 %) sensorineural h earing loss was located to the inner ear. A dysfunction of the auditor y pathway was found in 6 patients (21 %). The results of an isolated e ar-nose-throat examination in 7 further children supported these findi ngs. The mean performances in the linguistic tests were far below aver age and displayed a strong relation to the IQ. This study shows that a peripheral hearing disorder, especially an obstruction of the auditor y tube as well as dysfunctions of the inner ear and the central hearin g pathway, are different manifestations of the fetal alcohol syndrome. An. etiologic connection between craniofacial abnormalities in these children and an increased susceptibility to peripheral hearing disorde rs could not be demonstrated. To avoid a retardation of the linguistic development in addition to the intellectual deficits a strong emphasi s must be put on an early and comprehensive auditory examination of ch ildren with FAS.