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Language development in preschool children born after asymmetrical intrauterine growth retardation

Andrea Simić Klarić1, Zdravko Kolundžić, Slavka Galić

  • 1General County Hospital, Požega, Osječka 106, Croatia. andrea.simic-klaric@po.t-com.hr

European Journal of Paediatric Neurology : EJPN : Official Journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society
|July 19, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) show impaired language development. Slow postnatal head growth and neonatal complications are linked to poorer language outcomes in preschool years.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Speech and language pathology

Background:

  • Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) can lead to subtle neurodevelopmental issues, particularly affecting motor skills, language, speech, and cognition.
  • Preschool children born with asymmetrical IUGR are at risk for developmental challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess language development in preschool children with asymmetrical intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).
  • To investigate the impact of postnatal head growth on the language outcomes of children with IUGR.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 50 preschool children born with IUGR (birth weight <10th percentile) and 50 matched controls.
  • Language development assessed using Reynell Developmental Language Scale, Naming test, and Mottier test.
  • Analyzed correlations between relative head growth and language outcomes, considering neonatal complications.

Main Results:

  • Children with IUGR exhibited significant deficits in language comprehension, expressive language, naming, and non-word repetition compared to controls.
  • Positive correlations were observed between relative head growth and language outcomes.
  • Neonatal complications were associated with lower language comprehension and expressive language scores.

Conclusions:

  • Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) negatively impacts preschool language development.
  • Slower postnatal head growth correlates with poorer language outcomes in children with IUGR.
  • Neonatal complications further exacerbate language deficits in this population.
Abstract

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