As rates of prematurity continue to rise, identifying which preterm children are at increased risk for learning disabilities is a public-health imperative. Identifying continuities between early and later skills in this vulnerable population can also illuminate fundamental neuropsychological processes that support learning in all children. At 18 months adjusted age, we used socioeconomic status, medical variables, parent-reported vocabulary, scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development language composite, and children’s lexical processing speed in the looking-while-listening task as predictor variables in a sample of 30 preterm children. Receptive vocabulary as measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (4th Edition) at 36 months was the outcome. Receptive vocabulary was correlated with SES, but uncorrelated with degree of prematurity or a composite of medical risk. Importantly, lexical processing speed was the strongest predictor of receptive vocabulary (r = −.81), accounting for 30% unique variance. Individual differences in lexical processing efficiency may be able to serve as a marker of information processing skills that are critical for language learning.

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.

Background Preterm birth may leave long-term effects on the interactions between caregivers and children. Language skills are sensitive to the quality of caregiver-child interactions. Aims Compare the quality of caregiver-child play interactions in toddlers born preterm (PT) and full term (FT) at age 22 months (corrected for degree of prematurity) and evaluate the degree of association between caregiver-child interactions, antecedent demographic and language factors, and subsequent language skill. Study Design A longitudinal descriptive cohort study Subjects 39 PT and 39 FT toddlers individually matched on sex and socioeconomic status (SES) Outcome Measures The outcome measures were dimensions of caregiver-child interactions, rated from a videotaped play session at age 22 months in relation to receptive language assessments at ages 18 and 36 months. Results Caregiver intrusiveness was greater in the PT than FT group. A composite score of child interactional behaviors was associated with a composite score of caregiver interactional behaviors. The caregiver composite measure was associated with later receptive vocabulary at 36 months. PT-FT group membership did not moderate the association between caregiver interactional behavior and later receptive vocabulary. Conclusions The quality of caregiver interactional behavior had similar associations with concurrent child interactional behavior and subsequent language outcome in the PT and FT groups. Greater caregiver sensitivity/responsiveness, verbal elaboration, and less intrusiveness supports receptive language development in typically-developing toddlers and toddlers at risk for language difficulty.

Individual differences in speed of spoken language comprehension may serve as a marker for neuropsychological processes that are critical for the development of school-relevant linguistic skills and nonverbal IQ in children born PT.

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Objective To assess language skills in preterm and full term children using a standardized language test and eye-tracking methods. Study design Children born ≤32 weeks gestation (n = 44) were matched on sex and socioeconomic status to full term children (n = 44) and studied longitudinally. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development- Third Edition (BSID-III) were administered at 18-months (corrected for prematurity as applicable). The Looking-While-Listening (LWL) task simultaneously presents two pictures and an auditory stimulus directing the child’s attention to one image. The pattern of eye movements reflects visual processing and the efficiency of language comprehension. PT children were evaluated on LWL three times between 18 and 24 months. FT children were evaluated at ages corresponding to chronological and corrected ages of their PT match. Results were compared between groups for the BSID-III and two LWL measures: accuracy (proportion of time looking at target) and reaction time (latency to shift gaze from distracter to target). Results PT children had lower BSID-III scores than FT children. PT children had poorer performance than FT children on LWL measures for chronological age but similar performance for corrected age. Accuracy and reaction time at 18 months corrected age displaced PT-FT group membership as significant predictors of BSID-III scores. Conclusions Performance and rate of change on language comprehension measures were similar in PT and FT compared at corrected age. Individual variation in language comprehension efficiency was a robust predictor of scores on a standardized language assessment in both groups.

Though the cause of motor abnormalities in cerebral palsy is injury to the brain, structural changes in muscle and fascia may add to stiffness and reduced function. This study examined whether myofascial structural integration therapy, a complementary treatment that manipulates muscle and fascia, would improve gross motor function and gait in children <4 years with cerebral palsy. Participants (N = 29) were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (NCT01815814, ) or Open Label Extension. The main outcome was the Gross Motor Function Measure-66 assessed at 3-month intervals. Gait (n = 8) was assessed using the GAITRite® electronic walkway. Parents completed a survey at study conclusion. Comparing Treatment (n = 15) and Waitlist-Control groups (n = 9), we found a significant main effect of time but no effect of group or time × group interaction. The pooled sample (n = 27) showed a main effect of time, but no significantly greater change after treatment than between other assessments. Foot length on the affected side increased significantly after treatment, likely indicating improvement in the children’s ability to approach a heel strike. Parent surveys indicated satisfaction and improvements in the children’s quality of movement. MSI did not increase the rate of motor skill development, but was associated with improvement in gait quality.

Children with spastic cerebral palsy experience difficulty with ambulation. Structural changes in muscle and fascia may play a role in abnormal gait. Myofascial structural integration (Rolfing) is a manual therapy that manipulates muscle and soft tissues to loosen fascia layers, reposition muscles, and facilitate alignment. This study aimed to document (1) gait characteristics of 2 children with cerebral palsy and (2) effects of myofascial structural integration on their gait. Children received 3 months of weekly therapy sessions by an experienced practitioner. Gait parameters were recorded at baseline and after treatment using an electronic walkway. Children with cerebral palsy demonstrated abnormal velocity and cadence, decreased step length and single support times, and increased double support time. After treatment, both children demonstrated improvement for 3 months in cadence and double support time. The objective gait analyses demonstrated temporary improvements after myofascial structural integration in children with spastic cerebral palsy.