Origins of language delay in abused infants

This paper presents a reanalysis of data collected in a study of abusing mother-infant pairs, emphasizing the failure of infants with a history of physical abuse to develop appropriate language skills. Bayley Mental Development indices of abused infants decreased with age. This decrease was attributable largely to the failure of abused infants to pass verbal items. None of the abused children had any verbal communication skills. Results are discussed in relation to patterns of maternal ignoring and lack of verbal stimulation.