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Cited by 139Language Development and DisordersInfant Development and Preterm CareHearing Impairment and Communication

Does preterm birth increase a child’s risk for language impairment?

Sansavini, Alessandra, Guarini, Annalisa, Justice, Laura M., Savini, Silvia, Broccoli, Serena, Alessandroni, Rosina, Faldella, Giacomo·2010·Early Human Development
DOI 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2010.08.014
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Abstract

Background Although premature birth is associated with lags in language acquisition, it is unclear whether preterms exhibit an elevated risk for language impairment (LI). This study determined whether preterms, without frank cerebral damage, at 2;6 and 3;6 exhibited a higher rate of risk for LI as compared to full-terms, and also sought to identify predictors of risk.Method Sixty-four Italian very immature preterms were assessed longitudinally at 2;6 and 3;6; age-matched full-terms served as controls at 2;6 (n=22) and 3;6 (n=40). Each completed individualized assessments of cognition and language ability. At each time point, using cut-offs specific to each of the language measures, children were differentiated into two groups (at risk for LI, not at risk).Results The percentage of full-terms at risk for LI at 2;6 (9.1% to 13.6%) and 3;6 (7.5%) was consistent with prior estimates of LI at these ages. The percentage of preterms at risk for LI at 2;6 (16.1% to 24.1%) and 3;6 (34.4%) was higher at both ages and statistically significant at 3;6 (difference=26.8%, 95% CI=12.3% to 41.4%). The best model predicting risk status at 3;6 was preterms' mean length of utterance (MLU) at 2;6, (sensitivity 72.73%, specificity 85%) when adjusting for maternal education.Conclusion Preterms exhibit a heightened risk for LI in the preschool years, since about one in four preterms at 2;6 and one in three preterms at 3;6 experiences significant lags in language acquisition. Findings argue the importance of early identification of language difficulties among preterms coupled with implementation of systematic language-focused interventions for these youngsters.

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  • Potential risk factors for DLD include a family history of speech and language impairments, low parental education and/or socioeconomic status, male gender, and pre- or peri-natal factors such as being born preterm or with low birth weight.

    “Growing evidence suggests that potential risk factors include a family history of speech and language impairments, a low level of parental education and/or socioeconomic status (SES), male gender, and pre- or peri-natal factors such as being born preterm or with low birth weight [19,22,51].”

    From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [51]

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Authors
Sansavini, A., Guarini, A., Justice, L. M., Savini, S., Broccoli, S., Alessandroni, R., & Faldella, G.
Affiliations
  • University of Bologna (IT)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • IRCCS Azienda Ospedliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di Sant'Orsola (IT)
Corresponding author
Sansavini, Alessandra
ORCID
Venue
Early Human Development
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-12
Volume
86
Issue
12
Pages
765-772
ISSN
0378-3782 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2010.08.014
OpenAlex
W2049207494
Cited by
139
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 6
FWCI
13.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Early Human Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Hearing Impairment and Communication
Keywords
preterm birth, language impairment, language acquisition, very preterm infants, preschool children, mean length of utterance, risk prediction, early detection, language intervention, maternal education
MeSH terms
Birth Weight, Cognition, Educational Status, Female, Gestational Age, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Premature, Infant, Premature, Diseases, Italy, Language Disorders, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Risk Factors, Stanford-Binet Test, Premature Birth

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