Failure to meet language milestones from the age of 24 months was predictive of SLI, but the use of separate milestones had limited value due to low sensitivity.

SLISpecific language impairment AIM The purpose of this study was to assess the relation of perinatal risk factors with later development of specific language impairment (SLI).METHOD In a case-control study, 179 children attending special needs schools for SLI were matched with non-affected children attending mainstream schools. Both groups consisted of 134 males and 45 females (age range 4-13y; mean age 9y, SD 2y 4mo). Data on duration of pregnancy, birthweight, delivery complications, birth characteristics, and Apgar scores were collected from the Preventive Child Health Care files of the Municipal Health Service. RESULTSThe gestational age of the children with SLI (mean 39.6wks, SD 0.1wk) and for the comparison group (mean 39.4wks, SD 0.1wk) and the birthweight of children with SLI (mean 3330.4g; SD 41.4g) and for the comparison group (mean 3388.1g; SD 39.8g) were not statistically different; neither were other pregnancy and birth characteristics, with the exception of the Apgar scores (effect of group for Apgar score after 1min p=0.045; after 5min p=0.001). The difference in Apgar scores was larger for females than for males (effect of group 9 sex for Apgar score after 1min p=0.049; after 5min p=0.043). INTERPRETATIONThe relation between Apgar scores and SLI together with the influence of sex may be meaningful for predicting modelling and for understanding the causal pathway for SLI.

A relationship was found between SLI and maternal age, being breastfed and place in the birth order. Perinatal risk factors do not seem to be strongly associated with SLI.

AimThis study aimed to develop a concise tool with acceptable predictive properties to identify young children with specific language impairment (SLI).MethodsIn this nested case–control study children with SLI attending two special needs schools for severe speech and language difficulties in the Netherlands were matched by date of birth and sex with control children attending mainstream education. This study analysed the predictive validity for having SLI at a mean age of eight years and three months (range 4–11 years) using combinations of six language milestones that were registered at 24, 36 and 45 months and retrieved from the children's healthcare files in 2012.ResultsWe included 253 pairs of children with and without SLI. During a single visit, combinations of two milestones at one age achieved a specificity of at least 97% and sensitivities ranged from 32% to 64%. However, the concise tool, which combined five milestones at three different ages – 24, 36 and 45 months – had a specificity of 96% (95% confidence interval 94–99%) and a sensitivity of 71% (95% confidence interval 66–77%).ConclusionCombining milestones at different ages provided a concise tool that could help to detect children with SLI at a young age.

More children with SLI are late in reaching motor milestones than children without SLI. This means that it is debatable whether SLI can be regarded as a "specific" impairment, which is not associated with other developmental problems. A broader developmental assessment is therefore indicated when diagnosing SLI.