Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm
06:07

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm

Published on: May 15, 2019

The effect of cleft lip on cognitive development in school-aged children: a paradigm for examining sensitive period

Françoise Hentges1, Jonathan Hill, Dorothy V M Bishop

  • 1University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, UK.

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|February 12, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children with cleft lip, especially those with late surgical repair, show lasting cognitive deficits. Early mother-infant interactions are crucial for cognitive development, highlighting the need for supportive interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric surgery
  • Developmental psychology
  • Child health

Background:

  • Late surgical repair in infants with cleft lip is linked to poorer cognitive development.
  • Early mother-infant interactions mediate these cognitive differences.
  • This study investigates the persistence of these effects into later childhood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if cognitive deficits in children with cleft lip persist into later childhood.
  • To examine the long-term impact of early surgical repair timing on cognitive outcomes.
  • To further investigate the role of early mother-infant interactions in mediating cognitive development.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed 93 children with cleft lip (early and late repair groups) and 77 controls.
  • Cognitive development was assessed at 7 years, including IQ, language, and school achievements.
  • Maternal sensitivity at 2 months was analyzed as a mediating factor.

Main Results:

  • Children with cleft lip, particularly those with late repair, exhibited significantly lower cognitive development scores.
  • Differences in Verbal IQ were mediated by maternal sensitivity at 2 months.
  • Maternal sensitivity was a significant predictor of 7-year Verbal IQ, independent of later interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Early social interactions in infancy are critically important for child cognitive development.
  • Interventions for infants with cleft lip should prioritize and support optimal parental care during infancy.
  • Fostering positive early interactions may mitigate long-term cognitive challenges.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
Cognitive Development During Adolescence01:18

Cognitive Development During Adolescence

During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the recognition that people have...
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
Cognitivism01:17

Cognitivism

Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...