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Language and motor development in pre-term children: some questions
M T Le Normand1, L Vaivre-Douret, M J Delfosse
1INSERM, Hôpital de La Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Child: Care, Health and Development
|March 1, 1995
Summary
Preterm children show language development asynchrony and early delays in morphosyntax and vocabulary. These findings question standardized tests and suggest language development may be independent of motor skills.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Linguistics
Background:
- Preterm birth can impact neurodevelopmental trajectories.
- Language development in early childhood is crucial for cognitive and social outcomes.
- Understanding language acquisition in preterm infants is essential for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess morphosyntactic and vocabulary skills in preterm children.
- To compare language development in preterm versus full-term children.
- To investigate the relationship between language and motor development in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 37 preterm children was longitudinally assessed at 2 and 3.5 years.
- Language skills (morphosyntax, vocabulary) were evaluated using standardized measures.
- Comparison groups of full-term children (adjusted and chronological age) were included.
Main Results:
- Significant asynchrony observed between morphosyntactic and vocabulary skills in preterm children.
- Early identification of language delay was possible: 35% for morphosyntax (Mean Length of Utterance) and 27% for vocabulary (number of different words) at age 2.
- No correlation found between language development and motor skills as measured by formal tests.
Conclusions:
- Findings challenge the validity of current standardized developmental tests for preterm populations.
- Evidence supports the hypothesis of language development being independent of motor skills.
- A comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment is recommended for preterm infants.