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Observational Study
. 2018 Sep;89(5):1674-1690.
doi: 10.1111/cdev.12818. Epub 2017 Apr 28.

Caregiver Talk and Medical Risk as Predictors of Language Outcomes in Full Term and Preterm Toddlers

Katherine A Adams  1 , Virginia A Marchman  1 , Elizabeth C Loi  2 , Melanie D Ashland  1 , Anne Fernald  1 , Heidi M Feldman  2
Affiliations
Observational Study

Caregiver Talk and Medical Risk as Predictors of Language Outcomes in Full Term and Preterm Toddlers

Katherine A Adams et al. Child Dev. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

This study examined associations between caregiver talk and language skills in full term (FT) and preterm (PT) children (n = 97). All-day recordings of caregiver-child interactions revealed striking similarities in amount of caregiver talk heard by FT and PT children. Children who heard more caregiver talk at 16 months demonstrated better knowledge- and processing-based language skills at 18 months. The unique contributions of caregiver talk were tempered by medical risk in PT children, especially for processing speed. However, there was no evidence that birth status or medical risk moderated the effects of caregiver talk. These findings highlight the role of caregiver talk in shaping language outcomes in FT and PT children and offer insights into links between neurodevelopmental risk and caregiver-child engagement.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
a, b and c. In full term (FT, n=56) and preterm (PT, n=41) groups, models of the relations between Adult Word Count per hour (AWC/hr) and (a) language knowledge measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III), (b) accuracy and (c) processing speed (RT) controlling for SES, sex, and child vocalizations and child ability at 16 months.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean proportion of looking to the target picture as a function of time in msec from noun onset for Lower Medical Risk and Higher Medical Risk preterm (PT, n = 41) children. Circles represent the time course of correct looking at 16 months; squares represent the time course of looking in the same children at 18 months. Error bars represent SE of the mean over participants.
Figure 3
Figure 3
a, b and c. In preterm children (PT, n = 41) at lower (-1 SD), average, and higher (+1 SD) medical risk, model estimates of relations between Adult Word Count per hour (AWC/hr) and (a) language knowledge measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (BSID-III), (b) processing accuracy, and (c) processing speed (RT), controlling for SES, sex, and child vocalizations and child ability at 16 months.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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