Listening Preference for Child-Directed Speech Versus Time-Reversed Speech in Moderate-Preterm Infants Compared to...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Infant speech perception is crucial for language acquisition.
• Child-directed speech (CDS) is characterized by specific prosodic and phonetic features that facilitate infant learning.
• Preterm birth can impact neurodevelopmental trajectories, including auditory processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether moderate-preterm infants (MPIs) exhibit a listening preference for child-directed speech (CDS) compared to backward speech.
• To compare the speech processing abilities of MPIs with full-term infants.
• To explore potential long-term developmental outcomes associated with early speech perception in MPIs.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen moderate-preterm infants (gestational age 32.0 weeks) and 36 full-term infants (controls) participated.
• Infants were tested using the central fixation procedure, presented with 16 trials of CDS and backward speech.
• A 5-year follow-up included developmental assessments and a parent questionnaire.

Main Results:

• MPIs did not demonstrate a listening preference for CDS over backward speech, unlike both control groups.
• MPIs showed delayed use of first words and word combinations.
• A significant proportion of MPIs (33%) were later diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Conclusions:

• The lack of CDS preference in MPIs indicates a delayed speech processing pattern compared to full-term peers.
• Delays in neurological maturation and auditory experiences outside the womb may affect phonological and prosodic pattern recognition.
• These findings highlight potential vulnerabilities in speech perception development for moderate-preterm infants.