Communication in children born very preterm: a prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Neonatology

Background:

• Premature birth (<30 weeks gestation) can impact child development.
• Language, speech, and voice are crucial developmental domains.
• Identifying predictors of developmental outcomes is essential for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare language, speech, and voice in children born preterm versus at term.
• To identify predictors of language, speech, and voice outcomes in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 300 infants (149 preterm, 151 term-born).
• Assessment at 3 years using standardized language, speech, and voice evaluations.
• Analysis of predictors including gestational age, birthweight, sex, chronic lung disease, social risk, and neurodevelopmental diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Children born preterm exhibited poorer language skills compared to term-born children.
• Speech and voice outcomes were comparable between preterm and term-born groups.
• Chronic lung disease predicted voice quality; male sex, high social risk, and neurodevelopmental diagnosis predicted poorer language outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Preterm infants, particularly those born before 30 weeks gestation, face challenges in language development.
• Neurodevelopmental disabilities and high social risk are significant predictors of poorer language outcomes in preterm children.
• Targeted language enrichment strategies are recommended for preterm infants with identified risk factors.