Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2026

The Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Model of Perinatal Ischemia
Published on: November 19, 2008
Early language delay among infants with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy after therapeutic hypothermia: A prospective
Zsuzsanna Varga1, Miklós Szabó1, Tamás Kói2
1Department of Neonatology, Pediateric Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Aim:
To assess early language development in infants with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH) who survived without functional motor deficits, and to identify potential neonatal predictive markers for early language delay (ELD).
Methods:
In a prospective cohort study, 77 infants with HIE treated with TH were recruited. Cognitive development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition, and language development using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory in follow-up studies at a median age of 20 months.
Results:
Thirty-two (41 %) infants had favorable cognitive and language development (FCLD group), 19 (25 %) exhibited ELD despite good cognitive skills, and 26 (34 %) showed concomitant adverse cognitive and language development (ACLD group). Despite differences in cognitive outcomes, the language profiles of the ELD and ACLD groups were comparable. No early clinical, socioeconomical, or MRI markers predicted language delay. However, maternal education was strongly associated with cognitive outcomes. Compared with maternal university education, infants of mothers with high school education had 3.9-fold higher odds (95 % CI 1.08-13.97) of adverse cognitive outcomes, and those with maternal elementary school education had 10.2-fold higher odds (95 % CI 2.56-40.31).
Conclusion:
One-third of infants with HIE demonstrated favorable cognitive outcomes but concurrent early language delay, highlighting the need for linguistic screening to prevent later learning disorders. Longitudinal studies are warranted to determine whether ELD infants eventually catch up or remain at risk for persistent language deficits.
More Related Videos
05:52Early Pathological and Magnetic Resonance Detection of Cerebral Injury Using a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Published on: October 28, 2022
05:15Author Spotlight: Assessing the Feasibility of Using Amplitude-Integrated EEG During Neonatal Transport
Published on: June 21, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Language and Cognition
Development of the Oral Microbiota