Early language development in infants with cortical and subcortical perinatal brain injury

To understand better the cognitive sequelae of mild perinatal brain injury, we studied three groups of high-risk infants, using the Early Language Milestone Scale (ELM Scale). Premature infants with Grades I and II intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH) were delayed on the expressive but not the receptive subscale of the ELM Scale. Mildly asphyxiated full-term infants were slightly delayed on both the expressive and receptive subscales. Premature infants without IVH performed the same as the normal sample on which the scale was based. Although normal intellectual functioning has been reported in infants with Grade I-II IVH, this study demonstrates early specific deficits in expressive language in these children. These results are discussed in relation to localization of language in the adult brain, and the influence of subcortical structures on development and maturation of the cortex.