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 

Saint Olaf College

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  

Causes of Differences in Preterm Born Children's Language Development 

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.

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