[Phonetic discrimination ability of a native vowel contrast in preterm infants]

Preterm birth is considered a risk factor for cognitive and linguistic development; however, research focusing on the comparison between preterm and full term infants' early abilities in speech perception is still scarce. In this study, the ability to perceive and discriminate a native vowel contrast by a sample of preterm infants at 4 and 8 months of age (corrected for gestation) has been analyzed using the familiarization-preference procedure and complex stimuli (CV.CV, multispeakers). Results reveal differences at 4 months of age between pre-term and control groups; only the latter successfully categorize and react to the vowel change. By 8 months of age, preterm infants are able to solve the task. A positive correlation was observed between duration of attention (visual fixation measures) and a number of neonatal risk factors. Results show the effects of preterm birth on the processing of complex stimuli and suggest the need to further explore the connection between early speech perception capacities and language development in this at-risk population.