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Does early object exploration support gesture and language development in extremely preterm infants and full-term
Mariagrazia Zuccarini1, Annalisa Guarini1, Jana Marie Iverson2
1Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Italy.
Journal of Communication Disorders
|October 10, 2018
Summary
Specific object exploration skills in infants are linked to later language development. Oral exploration supports word comprehension, while manual exploration aids gestures and vocal production.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Motor Development
- Early Language Acquisition
Background:
- Motor skills are crucial for language development in infants.
- Specific object exploration's impact on gesture and vocabulary is understudied in extremely low gestational age (ELGA) infants.
- ELGA infants face higher risks for motor and language delays.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between 6-month object exploration behaviors and 12-month language skills.
- To control for cognitive performance and neonatal status (ELGA vs. full-term).
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 40 infants (20 ELGA, 20 full-term).
- Video-recorded mother-infant interactions at 6 and 12 months.
- Assessed object exploration, gestures, vocal production, word comprehension, and cognitive development.
Main Results:
- Oral object exploration at 6 months predicted word comprehension at 12 months.
- Manual object exploration at 6 months predicted gestures and vocal production at 12 months.
- These findings held after controlling for cognitive and neonatal factors.
Conclusions:
- Specific object exploration skills have cascading effects on language development in preterm and full-term infants.
- Early assessment and intervention targeting object exploration may benefit language development in preterm infants.
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