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Exposure to the parents' speech is positively associated with preterm infant's face preference

Anette Aija1,2, Jukka Leppänen3, Laura Aarnos4

  • 1University of Turku, Turku, Finland. anette.aija@utu.fi.

Pediatric Research
|May 23, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Exposure to parents' speech in the neonatal period is linked to better social development in preterm infants. This early vocal contact may serve as a marker for optimal social-cognitive development.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Developmental psychology
  • Speech-language pathology

Background:

  • Parental involvement in neonatal care can enhance neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants.
  • The impact of parental speech exposure on preterm infants' social-cognitive development requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between parental speech exposure and social-cognitive development in preterm infants.
  • To determine if early vocal contact predicts later social development markers.

Main Methods:

  • Sixty-three preterm infants (born <32 weeks gestational age) were studied in two neonatal units.
  • Language environment was assessed using 16-hour recordings (Language Environment Analysis - LENA®).
  • Infant attention to faces vs. non-face patterns was measured at 7 months corrected age using eye-tracking.

Main Results:

  • Preterm infants showed a stronger preference for faces over non-face patterns.
  • Greater exposure to parental speech during the neonatal period correlated with a preference for faces.
  • Exposure to parental speech was also associated with a preference for parents' faces over unfamiliar ones.

Conclusions:

  • Parental speech exposure during neonatal intensive care is a potential early marker for social-cognitive development in preterm infants.
  • This study highlights the importance of parental vocal contact for early social development, specifically face preference.
  • Findings suggest a need for tailored support for parental face-to-face and vocal interactions in the NICU.
Abstract

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