Early social communication and language development in moderate-to-late preterm infants: a longitudinal study
Blanca Palomero-Sierra1,2,3, Victoria Sánchez-Gómez1,3, María Magán-Maganto1,2,3
1Institute for Community Inclusion (INICO), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 18, 2025
Summary
Moderate-to-late preterm infants show developmental delays, especially in receptive language. Early social communication skills at 12 months predict later language development in these infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Language Acquisition
- Neonatal Development
Background:
- Moderate-to-late preterm (MLPT) infants often face developmental challenges compared to full-term (FT) peers.
- Social communication is a critical area for early development and language acquisition.
- Understanding developmental trajectories in MLPT infants is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate early development and language acquisition in MLPT infants.
- To identify early predictors of language outcomes at 24 months.
- To compare developmental patterns between MLPT and FT infants.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study assessing 106 infants (49 MLPT, 57 FT) at 12, 18, and 24 months.
- Utilized Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Vineland-3), and SACS-R.
- Analyzed group differences, time interactions, and predictive models for language performance.
Main Results:
- MLPT infants exhibited significant developmental delays compared to FT infants, particularly in receptive language.
- Early social communication indicators (pointing, following a point, attending to sounds) at 12 months strongly predicted 24-month language outcomes.
- Cognitive abilities were also significant predictors, especially for receptive language.
Conclusions:
- Early social communication skills are vital for language development in MLPT infants.
- The SACS-R is effective in identifying early communication challenges in this population.
- Targeted interventions focusing on communication skills can support the long-term development of MLPT infants.
Keywords:
cognitive developmentearly predictorslanguage developmentlongitudinal studymoderate-to-late preterm infantsneurodevelopmentprematuritysocial communicationMore Related Videos
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