Occurrence of risk for hearing loss in infants with congenital syphilis: A cross-sectional study using automatic auditory brainstem response

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose: to study the occurrence of risk for hearing loss in infants with congenital syphilis, using automatic auditory brainstem response. Methods: a prospective cross-sectional study. Automatic auditory brainstem response was performed nine to 60 days after leaving the hospital. The sample included infants exposed to syphilis- infants of mothers who underwent the current best practice treatment for syphilis, during the prenatal period, after testing positive for the disease, using the Venereal Diseases Research Laboratory (VDRL) exam (Exposed group); Congenital syphilis group: infants and mothers who received syphilis treatment during the perinatal period, following a positive VDRL result at birth; Control group: infants of mothers with a negative VDRL result. None of the infants had other hearing loss risk indicators. Analysis was based on binary pass/failure in automatic auditory brainstem response. Results: in the Exposed group, 100% passed the test bilaterally. In the Congenital syphilis group, 97% passed the test for the right ear and 94% for the left ear. In the Control group, 96% passed the test for the right ear and 94% for the left ear. Conclusion: neither exposure or congenital syphilis were indicators of a higher occurrence of risk for hearing, during the first two months of life.