Background: Since preterm birth is associated with a constellation of pre-, peri- and post-natal risk factors, we hypothesised that prematurity may continue to impact the development of linguistic abilities even up to the end of the preschool years and beyond, giving rise to an atypical developmental trajectory. The study tested this hypothesis at six years of age, investigating whether language continues to be affected by preterm birth and how different linguistic abilities are interrelated. Method: Seventy monolingual Italian preterms (mean gestational age at birth = 29.7 weeks, SD = 2.3; range = 24 to 33 weeks), and 34 age-matched controls were recruited. Any child with cerebral palsy, leukomalacia, intra-ventricular haemorrhage > II grade, hydrocephalus, motor handicap or significant sensory impairments was excluded. Linguistic abilities (vocabulary, grammar, and phonological awareness) as well as general cognitive developmental levels were measured. Results: No general cognitive delay emerged, but less developed abilities in vocabulary [t(101) = 3.75, p
Reconsidering the impact of preterm birth on language outcome.
GUARINI, ANNALISA;SANSAVINI, ALESSANDRA;
2009
Abstract
Background: Since preterm birth is associated with a constellation of pre-, peri- and post-natal risk factors, we hypothesised that prematurity may continue to impact the development of linguistic abilities even up to the end of the preschool years and beyond, giving rise to an atypical developmental trajectory. The study tested this hypothesis at six years of age, investigating whether language continues to be affected by preterm birth and how different linguistic abilities are interrelated. Method: Seventy monolingual Italian preterms (mean gestational age at birth = 29.7 weeks, SD = 2.3; range = 24 to 33 weeks), and 34 age-matched controls were recruited. Any child with cerebral palsy, leukomalacia, intra-ventricular haemorrhage > II grade, hydrocephalus, motor handicap or significant sensory impairments was excluded. Linguistic abilities (vocabulary, grammar, and phonological awareness) as well as general cognitive developmental levels were measured. Results: No general cognitive delay emerged, but less developed abilities in vocabulary [t(101) = 3.75, pI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
