Approximately 50-70% of very preterm (VPT) born infants are affected by diffuse white matter abnormalities such as loss of white matter volume, corpus callosum thinning, and delayed myelination. A recent study showed that the mean score on language tests at the age of 4 and 6 years significantly declined as the severity of white matter abnormalities increased. This is mainly because corpus callosum plays a crucial role in exchange of interhemispheric information, thus a deviation impacts the cognitive performance 

Structural Abnormalities 

a) Effect of Exposure to Auditory Stimuli in Intensive Care Units
b) Dysfunctional Caregiver-Infant Relationship

Considering brain development is mostly shaped by early sensory experiences, exposure to language in the infant’s environment is of utmost importance. Since PT-born infants are exposed earlier to the environment outside of the uterus, one can wonder what the impact of the exposure to the auditory environment has on the developing brain.

Postnatal Environmental Factors 

a) Atypical Functional Brain Organization 
b) Structural Abnormalities 

According to recent studies, cerebral abnormalities associated with preterm birth might be a determinant of cognitive and linguistic development. Neuroimaging studies can help us identify predictors of development disorders so we can expand our knowledge about this topic.

Neuroanatomical Factors 

1) Neuroanatomical Factors 
     a) Atypical Functional Brain Organization 
     b) Structural Abnormalities 
2) Postnatal Environmental Factors 
     a) Effect of Exposure to Auditory Stimuli in Intensive Care Units 
     b) Dysfunctional Caregiver-Infant Relationship  

Saint Olaf College

Every year, approximately 15 million babies are born Preterm (PT). Considering this large number, many studies have been conducted to examine the consequences of PT birth. This paper explains the deficits in the language development of PT children by focusing on "Neuroanatomical" and "Postnatal Environmental" factors. 

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in Preterm Born Children 

Vandormael, C., Schoenhals, L., Hüppi, P. S., Filippa, M., & Borradori Tolsa, C. (2019). Language in Preterm Born Children: Atypical Development and Effects of Early Interventions on Neuroplasticity. Neural plasticity, 2019, 6873270. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/6873270


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