25 AUDITORY AND VISUAL PRETERM DEVELOPMENT OF EXTREMELY OF PREMATURE INFANTS

Abstract

Early auditory and visual responses were assessed in 47 premature infants with BW below 1300 gms born at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1983. These extremely premature infants (67% were at or below 28 wks gestation) were assessed weekly, from 1 week until discharge, using a bell, light and optokinetic drum.

All premature infants, from 25 wks postconceptional age (PCA) and beyond, had some response to the bell and light. The majority (>80%) habituated to the bell and light at their initial exam at one week of age.

Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) could be elicited as early as 30 wks PCA, and improved with increasing postconceptional age. Definite OKN was present in the majority of premature infants by 36 wks PCA, and was universally present by 40 wks PCA. No premature infant (even those at term) blinked in response to a visual threatening gesture.

Alerting to the bell, blinking to light and habituation may be useful in assessing sensory abilities of the extremely premature infant below 30 wks PCA, whereas optokinetic nystagmus to the OKN drum is a more practical and objective measure of visual abilities of premature infants closer to term.

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