Pre-linguistic communication skill development in an infant with a diagnosis of galactosaemia
Fiona M Lewis1, David J Coman, Sarah Kilcoyne
1Centre for Neurogenic Communication Disorders Research, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.
Background:
Neonatal screening for galactosaemia (GAL) identifies the condition early, but subsequent biomedical and genetic testing fails to identify which subgroup of infants with GAL are at most risk of the language disorders associated with the condition. This study aims to present preliminary data on an infant with GAL based on assessment of pre-linguistic communication behaviours known to underpin language development.
Methods:
This single case-control study profiles the pre-linguistic skills of a 13-month-old infant with GAL. The Index Infant's performance was descriptively compared to that of a typically developing, suitably matched control infant.
Results:
The Index Infant was identified as presenting with clinically significant delays on 9 of the 11 pre-linguistic skills assessed.
Discussion And Conclusion:
The early identification of risk of developmental language difficulties in the Index Infant allows for the implementation of early intervention using the infant's parents as facilitators of language stimulation. Monitoring of the infant's progress is warranted.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Language Development
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...
Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Glucose Transporters
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
Development of Immunocompetence
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
Language and Cognition
Genetic Lingo


