Vestibular evaluation of infants and preschool children.

This article presents an updated summary of vestibular test modifications employed at the Boys Town National Institute for Communication Disorders in Children. In addition, we report the results of vestibular evaluations of 104 full-term and premature children (47 male and 57 female) ranging in age from 3 months to 6 years, including a group of postmeningitic patients. The evaluations utilized harmonic acceleration (HA). No age-related maturational differences in HA gain, phase, or symmetry for an 0.08 Hz screening frequency were found when full-term and premature infants were compared. Infrared video technology was adapted to provide continuous visual monitoring of head and eye position in the totally darkened test enclosure.