Biomedical Risk Factors in Early Development and Speech Function Characteristics of First-graders

Abstract

We studied the speech function parameters in first-graders from the groups of low, moderate and high risk in terms of adverse biomedical factors in early ontogenesis. The study included 1162 first-graders living in Arkhangelsk. A comparative analysis showed that the number of biomedical risk factors in early development correlates positively with the risk of impaired speech development and verbal thinking. In the low-risk group, the speech development parameters were within normal range; in the high-risk group, the parameter values of both speech development and verbal thinking were low. The construction of regression models in the examined sample of children suggests that the most significant risk factor closely related to speech development is “prematurity.” The parameters such as “maternal occupational hazards” and “maternal exposure to medications during pregnancy” also make a significant contribution.