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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Comparative analysis of initial vocalizations of preterm and full-term infants with and without risk for development

Isabela de Moraes Fattore¹, Rejane Maiara Uhde¹, Luciéle Dias Oliveira¹

¹Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM - Santa Maria (RS), Brasil.

|September 14, 2017

Insights

Infant vocalizations, particularly those using motherese, correlated with developmental risks. Early risk indicators were more sensitive in Phase 1, while language tests proved more effective in Phase 2 for assessing infant development.

Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Infant Communication Studies
Pediatric Health Research

Background:

Vocalization is a key developmental milestone in infants, reflecting cognitive and social-emotional growth.
Understanding vocalization patterns in preterm and full-term infants can identify early developmental trajectories.
Risk factors can influence infant development, necessitating sensitive assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare vocalization development in preterm versus full-term infants.
To examine infants with and without developmental risks.
To explore associations between sociodemographic, obstetric, and psychosocial factors and infant vocalization.

Main Methods:

Longitudinal study of 30 infants (preterm and full-term) across two phases (4-5 months and 6-7 months).
Utilized Child Development Risk Indicators (IRDl) and Denver II Test for developmental assessment.
Collected sociodemographic, obstetric, and psychosocial data via interviews and mother-infant dyad filming analyzed with ELAN software.

Main Results:

Increased infant and maternal "motherese" vocalizations in Phase 2 correlated with more Child Development Risk Indicators (IRDls).
A significant rise in non-"motherese" vocalizations was noted in Phase 2.
Sociodemographic factors, gestational age, birth weight, and maternal education did not directly impact infant vocalization levels.

Conclusions:

Infant vocalizations in Phase 1 were sensitive to developmental risks and IRDls.
The Denver II language test demonstrated greater effectiveness in Phase 2 for developmental assessment.
No significant influence of sociodemographic variables on infant vocalization was observed during the study periods.

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Abstract

Purpose:

To compare the evolution of vocalization in preterm and full-term infants, with and without risk for development, analyzing the possible association of sociodemographic, obstetric and psychosocial variables with vocalization.

Methods:

The study sample consisted of 30 infants, aged 3 months and 1 day to 4 months and 29 days (Phase 1) and 6 months and 1 day to 7 months and 29 days (Phase 2), of both genders, with gestational age <37 weeks (preterm group) and >37 weeks (full-term group). The following instruments were used for data collection: Child Development Risk Indicators (IRDl), the Denver II Test, an interview on the experience of motherhood with sociodemographic, obstetric and psychosocial data, as well as filming of the mother-infant dyad at the two phases of the research. Footage was analyzed using the EUDICO Linguistic Annotator (ELAN) software and the results were statistically analyzed on the STATISTICA 9.0 software.

Results:

The larger the total number of Phase II infants' and mothers' vocalizations using motherese, the greater the number of IRDls present. Significant increase in vocalizations without motherese was also observed in Phase 2. Sociodemographic variables, gestational age, weight at birth, maternal schooling, and the Brazil Criterion did not directly affect the infants' vocalization level.

Conclusion:

Analysis of the infants' vocalizations was sensitive to risk development and Child Development Risk Indicators in Phase 1; the Denver-language test was more effective in Phase 2. No influence of the sociodemographic variables was observed in the phases studied.

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