Receptive Language Development Research Articles

Neurodevelopmental outcomes following possible serious bacterial infection in early infancy in Karachi, Pakistan: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundPakistan reports a significant burden of neonatal mortality, with infections as one of the major causes. We aim to assess the long-term impact of early infancy infections on neurodevelopmental outcomes during later childhood.MethodsWe conducted a prospective follow-up study of the cohort enrolled at the Karachi site of the Aetiology of Neonatal Infection in South Asia (ANISA) during 2019–2020. Children with a possible serious bacterial infection (based on the WHO IMCI algorithm) at early infancy were assessed for neurodevelopment at 6–9 years of age and compared with healthy controls. The Ten Questions (TQS) questionnaire, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Parent’s Evaluation of Developmental Stage Assessment Level (PEDS: DM-AL) neurodevelopmental assessment tools, were administered and scored by the research staff who were blinded to the child’s exposure status. Generalized Structural Equation Modelling (GSEM) was employed to verify relationships and associations among developmental milestones, anthropometry, and sociodemographic variables.ResultsA total of 398 children (241 cases and 157 controls) completed neurodevelopmental and growth assessments. Cases had a significantly higher rate of abnormal TQS scores (54.5% vs. 35.0%, p-value 0.001), greater delays in motor milestones (21.2% vs. 12.1%, p-value 0.02), lower fine motor skills (78.4 ± 1.4 vs. 83.2 ± 1.5, p-value 0.02). The receptive language skills were well-developed in both groups. According to the logistic regression model, exposure to infection during the first 59 days of life was associated with delayed TQS milestones (β = -0.6, 95% CI -1.2,-0.04), TQS hearing domain (β = -0.3, 95% CI: -1.2 to 0.7), PEDS: DM-AL fine motor domain (β = -1.3, 95% CI: -4.4 to 1.7), PEDS: DM-AL receptive language development (β = -1.1, 95% CI: -3.7 to 1.4) and child anthropometric measurements such as weight and height (β = -0.2, 95% CI: -0.4 to 0.01 and β = -0.2, 95% CI: -0.4 to -0.01, respectively). Early pSBI exposure was positively associated with PEDS: DM-AL self-help domain (β = 0.6, 95% CI: -1.2 to 2.4) and SDQ-P overall score (β = 0.02, 95% CI: -0.3 to 0.3).ConclusionChildren exposed to PSBI during early infancy have higher rates of abnormal development, motor delays, and lower fine motor skills during later childhood in Pakistan. Socioeconomic challenges and limited healthcare access contribute to these challenges, highlighting the need for long-term follow-ups with integrated neurodevelopment assessments.

Toward culturally-appropriate communication assessment for Indigenous Australian children with autism

We sought to determine if the Hearing and Talking Scale (HATS)—a tool developed to assess the communication, speech, and language development of Indigenous Australian children—might be applicable to Indigenous Australian children with autism. A HATS assessment was completed with four Indigenous Australian children. The children were aged 3–5 years and had been diagnosed with autism. The results were compared to scores from the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Scale (REEL-4), which is a standardised, norm-referenced assessment of expressive and receptive language development. The children’s early childhood teachers served as informants. Both the HATS and REEL-4 identified varying degrees of communication impairment suggesting that their combined use may represent a culturally appropriate and feasible communication assessment strategy. Future research into the reliability and validity of the HATS for assessing the communicative functioning of young Indigenous Australian children with autism or other types of developmental disabilities or delay is warranted.

Early Postoperative Benefits in Receptive and Expressive Language Development After Cochlear Implantation Under 9 Months of Age in Comparison to Implantation at Later Ages.

The recent expansion of eligibility for cochlear implantation (CI) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include infants as young as 9 months has reignited debates concerning the clinically appropriate cut-off age for pediatric CI. Our study compared the early postoperative trajectories of receptive and expressive language development in children who received CI before 9 months of age with those who received it between 9 and 12 months. This study involved a unique pediatric cohort with documented etiology, where the timing of CI was based on objective criteria and efforts were made to minimize the influence of parental socioeconomic status. A retrospective review of 98 pediatric implantees recruited at a tertiary referral center was conducted. The timing of CI was based on auditory and language criteria focused on the extent of delay corresponding to the bottom 1st percentile of language development among age-matched controls, with patients categorized into very early (CI at <9 months), early (CI at 9-12 months) and delayed (CI at 12-18 months) CI groups. Postoperative receptive/expressive language development was assessed using the Sequenced Language Scale for Infants receptive and expressive standardized scores and percentiles. Only the very early CI group showed significant improvements in receptive language starting at 3 months post-CI, aligning with normal-hearing peers by 9 months and maintaining this level until age 2 years. During this period (<2 years), all improvements were more pronounced in receptive language than in expressive language. CI before 9 months of age significantly improved receptive language development compared to later CI, with improvements sustained at least up to the age of 2. This study supports the consideration of earlier CI, beyond pediatric Food and Drug Administration labeling criteria (>9 months), in children with profound deafness who have a clear deafness etiology and language development delays (<1st percentile).

Variability in Receptive Language Development Following Bilateral Cochlear Implantation.

The primary aim was to investigate the variability in language development in children aged 5-7.5 years after bilateral cochlear implantation (CI) up to the age of 2 years, and any impact of the age at implantation and additional noncognitive or anatomical disorders at implantation. Data of 84 congenitally deaf children that had received simultaneous bilateral CI at the age of ≤ 24 months were included in this retrospective study. The results of language comprehension acquisition were evaluated using a standardized German language acquisition test for normal hearing preschoolers and first graders. Data on speech perception of monosyllables and sentences in quiet and noise were added. In a monosyllabic test, the children achieved a median performance of 75.0 ± 12.88%. In the sentence test in quiet, the median performance was 89 ± 12.69%, but dropped to 54 ± 18.92% in noise. A simple analysis showed a significant main effect of age at implantation on monosyllabic word comprehension (p < .001), but no significant effect of comorbidities that lacked cognitive effects (p = .24). Language acquisition values correspond to the normal range of children with normal hearing. Approximately 25% of the variability in the language acquisition tests is due to the outcome of the monosyllabic speech perception test. Congenitally deaf children who were fitted bilaterally in the 1st year of life can develop age-appropriate language skills by the time they start school. The high variability in the data is partly due to the age of implantation, but additional factors such as cognitive factors (e.g., working memory) are likely to influence the variability.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RECEPTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE INDICATORS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLCHILDREN WITH SEPTAL CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS

Highlights In recent years, congenital heart defects (CHD) have remained the most prevalent diseases in young children. Opinions on the health of children who have undergone cardiac surgery vary: for example, there are data in the literature indicating that speech disorders following cardiac surgery are present in 56% of cases, whereas cognitive disorders are present in 21% of cases. Aim. To study the level of development of receptive and expressive language in primary schoolchildren with septal congenital heart defects before surgical correction. Methods. The prospective study of children (n = 90) with septal congenital heart defects (atrium septal defect, n = 75; ventricle septal defect n = 15) before surgical correction was conducted at the Scientific Research Institute of Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases (Kemerovo). The anamnesis, clinical symptoms, hemodynamics and the level of speech development (receptive and expressive language) were studied.Results. In children with septal heart defects, speech disorders were noted in 82% of cases: 56% of children had common speech disorders, 26% had delayed speech development. Expressive language skills of these children can be often characterized by delayed development, which manifests in the form of articulation disorder, difficulties with grammar syntax and morphology, and pronunciation disorders. There were no statistically significant differences between the level of expressive language and the type of CHD (p = 0.125).Conclusion. Even in the absence of intracardiac hemodynamic disorders in children with septal CHD, detected neurodevelopmental delays at the preoperative period necessitates the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach in the management of children with such pathology.

Association between maternal sensitivity and child receptive language development: Quasi-causal evidence using a sibling comparison design.

Observational studies have shown that caregiver sensitivity predicts child language skills. These studies, however, have entirely relied on between-family designs (single parent-child dyad per family), which cannot rule out the contribution of shared family confounds (e.g., genetics, books in home). The current study investigates whether observed caregiver sensitivity predicts changes in child receptive language using a sibling comparison design. Participants were 890 Canadian children (51.7% male; 52.4% White) nested within 447 families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds with children between the ages of 2 and 3.5 years (Wave 1) and 3.5 and 5 years (Wave 2). Independent observers provided ratings of maternal sensitivity with each sibling using several coding protocols (i.e., Coding of Attachment-Related Parenting and the Parent-Child Interaction System). Child receptive language was assessed using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Maternal sensitivity predicted within-person change in receptive language. That is, the sibling that receives comparatively more sensitivity from the caregiver showed more development in language over time when compared to their sibling. The obverse association, child language to later maternal sensitivity, was not observed, pointing to a unidirectional association of maternal sensitivity on child receptive language. Our sibling comparison design rules out the role of shared family confounders, which provides a strong test of causal processes within an observational design. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

어머니의 상호작용행동이 영아의 상호작용행동과 언어발달에 미치는 영향

Objectives This study examined the relationship between infants' language development, infants' interactive be-haviors, and mothers' interactive behaviors, and analyzed the effects of mothers' interactive behaviors on infants' interactive behaviors and infants' expressive and receptive language development.&#x0D; Methods To this end, a survey was conducted among the mothers of 170 infants under the age of 48 months who were enrolled in a daycare center in Gyeonggi-do. The collected data were calculated using the SPSS Statistics 21 program to calculate frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis and tolerance be-tween items. Pearson's right rate correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between each vari-able, and hierarchical regression analysis was performed to analyze the effect between each variable.&#x0D; Results First, as a result of analyzing the correlation between infants' language development and infants' and mothers' interactive behaviors, infants' interactive behaviors were both statically correlated with their mothers' in-teractive behaviors, and infants' language development was statically correlated with both infants' interactive be-haviors and mothers' interactive behaviors. Second, the mother's interactive behavior has been shown to have a static effect on the infant's interactive behavior. Among the sub-factors of mothers' interactive behaviors, re-activity was found to have a static effect on infants' initiative, intentional, and emotional interactions. Efficiency was found to have a static effect on infants' social interactions, and non-directiveness had a static effect on in-fants' social and emotional interactions. Third, it was confirmed that the mother's interactive behavior had a static effect on the development of expressive language and receptive language of infants.&#x0D; Conclusions First, in order to compensate for the limitations of the parent-reported evaluation method of this study, we propose a method of comparative study of parent-reported evaluation and expert direct evaluation. Second, it is necessary to analyze the influence between the sub-factors of each variable and look specifically at the relationship between each factor. Third, among the parental characteristics that affect infants' language devel-opment, there is also a need to conduct research on father-related variables and family environment variables. Fourth, in future research, it will be necessary to analyze the effect of mother's interaction behavior on the detailed developmental areas of infants and provide basic data that can promote infant development.

Risiko Infeksi Plasmodium Falciparum dalam Kehamilan terhadap Perkembangan Bahasa Reseptif dan Ekspresif pada Anak Balita

This study aims to analyze the relationship between Plasmodium Falciparum infection in pregnancy and impaired receptive and expressive language development in children under five. The research method uses an observational analytical design with a case-control approach. The results of the study showed that there was no significant relationship between a history of plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnancy and receptive language disorders in children under five, and there was no meaningful relationship between a history of plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnancy and expressive language disorders in children under five. In conclusion, a history of Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy is not associated with impaired receptive and expressive language development in children under five.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Expressive, Pregnancy, Language Development, Plasmodium Falciparum, Receptive

Effect of bilateral cochlear implants on language development in children aged 2-7 years

Aims: Pediatric patients with bilateral total sensorineural hearing loss have very poor or no language development compared to their peers. The hearing and language development of these patients is usually managed via cochlear implants (CIs). &#x0D; Methods: This study examined the factors that affect the language development of children aged 24-84 months who have undergone CI surgery. The language development outcomes of patients with bilateral CIs and patients with unilateral CIs were compared. The participants were receiving regular hearing rehabilitation training and had undergone unilateral or bilateral CI surgery at various centers. Their language development was evaluated using the Turkish adaptation of the Test of Early Language Development-3 (TELD-3). &#x0D; Results: The expressive language development of the patients with unilateral implants was delayed by 14.0±18.1 months, while the expressive language development of patients with bilateral implants was delayed by 2.8±8.7 months. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.025). &#x0D; Conclusion: Although the levels of receptive language development of patients with bilateral and unilateral CIs were similar, the expressive language development of patients with bilateral CIs was better. We recommend that bilateral CI surgery be performed in a single session for patients with congenital bilateral total sensorineural hearing loss.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences on child growth and development in rural Pakistan: An observational cohort study.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have significant impacts on the next generation with links to negative birth outcomes, impaired cognitive development, and increased socioemotional problems in children. However, not all types or levels of adversity are similarly deleterious and research from diverse contexts is needed to better understand why and how intergenerational transmission of adversity occurs. We examined the role of maternal ACEs on children's growth, cognitive, and socioemotional development at 36 months postpartum in rural Pakistan. We used data from 877 mother-child dyads in the Bachpan Cohort, a birth cohort study. Maternal ACEs were captured using an adapted version of the ACE-International Questionnaire. Outcomes at 36 months of age included child growth using the WHO growth z-scores, fine motor and receptive language development assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, and socioemotional and behavioral development measured with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Socioemotional and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. To estimate the associations between maternal ACEs and child outcomes, we used multivariable generalized linear models with inverse probability weights to account for sampling and loss to follow-up. Over half of mothers in our sample (58%) experienced at least one ACE. Emotional abuse, physical abuse, and emotional neglect were the most commonly reported ACEs. We found null relationships between the number of maternal ACEs and child growth. Maternal ACEs were associated with higher fine motor and receptive language development and worse socioemotional and behavioral outcomes. Maternal ACE domains had similarly varying relationships with child outcomes. Our findings highlight the complexity of intergenerational associations between maternal ACEs and children's growth and development. Further work is necessary to examine these relationships across cultural contexts and identify moderating factors to mitigate potential negative intergenerational effects.

The Preliminary Study of the Effects of Cochlear Implantation on Developmental Outcome in Thai Children

Background: Children born with severe or profound hearing loss usually have delays in receptive and expressive language development that affect academic achievement and social functioning. Cochlear implantation is the treatment of choice for these children. There were very few studies on developmental outcome of the children with severe sensory neural hearing loss who had gone through cochlear implantation. Objective: 1) To assess developmental outcome of cochlear implantation in children aged 9 to 66 months. 2) To study attitude and Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) of the parents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study of 27 children aged 9 to 66 months who received cochlear implantation at Rajavithi Hospital. The data were collected online using the Ages &amp; Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition, Thai-Version (ASQ-3 Thai), Parents’ attitudes and PSDQ, Thai version. Results: The age of cochlear implant was 30.52±12.22 months with 29.6% of the patients getting the cochlear implantation before two years of age. There was 70%, and 37% of children suspected of having delays in language and problem solving. Relationship between language development with age at diagnosis of hearing impairment, age of receive hearing aids, age of auditory-verbal therapy, age of cochlear implantation, and duration of auditory verbal training after cochlear implantation were statistically significant. There was a significant relationship between problem solving and reading with children family type. Most parenting style was authoritative. Parental knowledge and attitudes were very good at 96.3%. Conclusion: Children with severe sensory neural hearing loss who received early diagnosis and cochlear implantation at the age younger than 2 years old, as well as long consecutive auditory and speech skills training, results in better language developmental outcomes. Keywords: Cochlear implantation; Development outcome; Language; Sensory neural hearing loss

Visual Motor Reaction Times Predict Receptive and Expressive Language Development in Early School-Age Children.

Proficiency of multisensory processing and motor skill are often associated with early cognitive, social, and language development. However, little research exists regarding the relationship between multisensory motor reaction times (MRTs) to auditory, visual and audiovisual stimuli, and classical measures of receptive language and expressive vocabulary development in school-age children. Thus, this study aimed to examine the concurrent development of performance in classical tests of receptive (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; abbreviated as PPVT) and expressive vocabulary (Expressive Vocabulary Test; abbreviated as EVT), nonverbal intelligence (NVIQ) (determined with the aid of Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices; abbreviated as RCPM), speed of visual-verbal processing in the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) test, Eye-Hand Co-ordination (EHC) in the SLURP task, and multisensory MRTs, in children (n = 75), aged between 5 and 10 years. Bayesian statistical analysis showed evidence for age group differences in EVT performance, while PPVT was only different for the youngest group of children aged 5-6, supporting different developmental trajectories in vocabulary acquisition. Bayesian correlations revealed evidence for associations between age, NVIQ, and vocabulary measures, with decisive evidence and a higher correlation (r = 0.57 to 0.68) between EVT, MRT tasks, and EHC visuomotor processing. This was further supported by regression analyses indicating that EVT performance was the strongest unique predictor of multisensory MRTs, EHC, and RAN time. Additionally, visual MRTs were found to predict both receptive and expressive vocabulary. The findings of the study have important implications as accessible school-based assessments of the concurrent development of NVIQ, language, and multisensory processing; and hence as rapid and timely measures of developmental and neurodevelopmental status.

Language development trajectories in young children with developmental disabilities in Taiwan

BackgroundLanguage development is critical to various outcomes in young children with developmental disabilities (DD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and non-ASD delays. However, language development trajectories in young children with DD in non-Western populations remain unclear. AimsTo investigate the language development trajectories of young children with DD in Taiwan. We investigated the relationship between trajectory class assignment and diagnostic outcomes (ASD or non-ASD delays) at 3 years after enrollment in the study and the differences in early abilities among children in different trajectory classes. Methods and ProceduresThe participants were 101 young children with DD (mean age: 21.88 months; follow-up: 1.5 and 3 years after enrollment). Growth mixture modeling analyses were conducted to receptive language developmental quotients (RLDQ) and expressive language developmental quotients (ELDQ) on the basis of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Outcomes and ResultsThree RLDQ trajectories were identified, namely age expected, delayed catch-up, and delayed, and two ELDQ trajectories were identified, namely delayed improve and delayed. Trajectory class assignment was related to diagnostic outcomes. Children who demonstrated more proficient skills at the early time point, demonstrated improved language outcomes 3 years later. However, adaptive functioning did not differ between the two ELDQ trajectory classes. Conclusions and ImplicationsLanguage development in young children with DD in Taiwan is heterogeneous. Delayed receptive and expressive language development trajectories relate to later ASD diagnoses.

Storytelling Method With The Help Of Straw Dolls To Improve Children Receptive Language Skills In Kindergarten

Children still have difficulties with language. It is because the way children speak could be clearer. This research aims to create a storytelling method with the help of straw dolls to improve children's receptive language development. This type of research is an R&amp;D method. The research subjects consisted of 2 media experts and one material expert, and 45 kindergarten children. The data collection techniques were interviews, observations, questionnaires, and documentation. The data analysis technique used quantitative analysis. The results showed the validity test with n = 10 and a significance score of 5% with r table 0.632. The results obtained were declared valid because r count&gt; r table. The validation test from material experts obtained an average score of 83.75% and 93.75%, including in the very feasible category. In contrast, linguists scored four which was in the very good category. Data analysis to test the effectiveness is shown in the results of the N-Gain calculation in the field test, as the experimental class obtained post-test results of 80.67 and 80.33, respectively. In contrast, for the control class, the post-test obtained a result of 56.00. The conclusion shows that the development of storytelling methods with the help of straw dolls to improve children's language skills in kindergarten is feasible and effective in improving children's language skills. The implications of this research are expected to help teachers improve children's language skills through learning media.

Supplemental Material for Association Between Maternal Sensitivity and Child Receptive Language Development: Quasi-Causal Evidence Using a Sibling Comparison Design

Supplemental Material for Association Between Maternal Sensitivity and Child Receptive Language Development: Quasi-Causal Evidence Using a Sibling Comparison Design

Parenting Patterns with Receptive Language Development in Autist Spectrume Disorder (ASD) Children

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a form of growth and development disorder that causes brain function not to work normally, affecting growth and development, communication skills, language development, and interaction skills. Parenting styles related to the development of receptive language in children with ASD are important considering that the mother is the closest caregiver to the child. This study aims to determine the relationship between parenting style and receptive language development in children with ASD at the Special Needs Children's Installation at the Sungai Bangkong Hospital, Pontianak. This type of research uses a correlational description with a cross-sectional approach. A sample of 48 people at the Installation for Children with Special Needs at the Sungai Bangkong Hospital, Pontianak. Most of the authoritarian parenting styles for normal receptive language development are 16,7%, while parenting styles with abnormal receptive language development are 83,3%. There is a relationship between parenting style and receptive language development in ASD children with a p-value = 0,001 &lt;0,05. There is a relationship between parenting style and receptive language development in ASD children in the Special Needs Children's Installation at the Sungai Bangkong Hospital, Pontianak.

Prenatal and Childhood Smoke Exposure Associations with Cognition, Language, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

To assess the relationships of prenatal and childhood smoke exposure with specific neurodevelopmental and behavioral problems during early childhood. A subsample (n=386) of mother-child dyads from the Newborn Epigenetic Study (NEST) prebirth cohort participated in the study. Cotinine concentrations were used to objectively measure prenatal and childhood smoke exposure when youth were aged 3-13years. Multivariable regression models were used to estimate associations of prenatal and childhood cotinine concentrations with performance on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and behavioral symptoms, measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2). After adjusting for confounders, childhood cotinine concentrations were associated with poorer cognitive performance on tasks measuring cognitive flexibility (B=-1.29; P=.03), episodic memory (B=-0.97; P=.02), receptive language development (B=-0.58; P=.01), and inhibitory control and attention (B=-1.59; P=.006). Although childhood cotinine concentration was associated with higher levels of attention problems (B=0.83; P=.004) on the BASC-2, after adjustment for confounders, the association is nonsignificant. Although associations for maternal cotinine concentrations were null, an interaction was detected between prenatal and childhood cotinine concentrations on the NIH Toolbox Picture Vocabulary Task (P=.02). Our findings suggest that childhood tobacco smoke exposure may lead to poorer attention regulation and language acquisition, complex visual processing ability, and attention problems.

Picture book reading on the development of preschoolers in rural areas of China: Effects on language, inhibition, and theory of mind.

Studies have shown that book reading intervention may scaffold children's language development. However, whether book reading interventions are equally effective for children's cognitive development in a Chinese rural school setting remains to be explored. We conducted a four-month book reading intervention to address these issues in rural Chinese areas. A total of three hundred twenty-one children aged between 2.56 and 6.47 years (M = 4.66 ages, SD = 0.80) were assigned to three groups as follows: (a) control group without donated picture books; (b) active reading control group with donated picture books; and (c) intervention group with a 4-month instructed picture book reading intervention. The findings indicate that the available books could produce significant positive changes in the development of receptive language (F (1,191) = 14.46, p < 0.01) and inhibitory control (F (1,190) = 7.64, p = 0.01) of rural children. However, a 4-month intervention was noneffective at boosting participants' performance on these tasks (F (1,203) = 0.07~2.73, p > 0.10). The results discussed the possible explanations, implications for behavioral intervention researchers, and suggestions for social service organizations or public institutions.

Pre-linguistic social communication skills and post implant language outcomes in deaf children with cochlear implants.

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between pre-linguistic social communication skills and age of cochlear implant for future language outcomes in a large sample of deaf children. MethodA retrospective cohort study of records from 75 children. Pre-implant data included Age at Implant, pre-linguistic communication (social, symbolic and speech) skills, and non-verbal ability. Receptive and expressive language development data at 1 year, 2 years and 4 years post implant were analysed to investigate the relationships between pre-implant factors and language outcomes, in particular pre-linguistic social communication skills in early and late implanted children. ResultsAge at Implant was the strongest correlate of post implant expressive and receptive language outcomes. The sample was divided into early implanted (<18 month) and late implanted (>18 months) children. In the early implanted group, pre-linguistic social communication skills were the strongest pre-implant correlate of language outcomes four years post-implant. In the late implanted group, there were no significant pre-implant correlates of language outcomes. ConclusionsLong term language outcomes after cochlear implantation are the product of a set of communicative, cognitive and environmental factors. Early pre-implant social communication skills are an important consideration for clinicians who guide parents as to likely long-term outcomes post cochlear implantation. Social communication skills are particularly important for children who receive implants before the age of 18 months.

Effectiveness of universal newborn hearing screening: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundPermanent bilateral hearing loss (PBHL) is a serious condition in newborns, with a prevalence of at least one per 1000 live births. However, there has been no recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of universal newborn hearing screening programs (UNHS).MethodsWe registered our study protocol on PROSPERO CRD42020175451. Primary outcomes were any identification of PBHL (ie, PBHL diagnosed at any time), age of identification of PBHL, and neurodevelopment. Two reviewers searched standard databases to March 2022 and extracted data. We used fixed and random effects meta-analysis to pool data and graded the certainty of evidence using standard methods.ResultsThe search retrieved 2834 records. We identified five studies reporting on the effects of UNHS vs no UNHS in 1 023 610 newborns. The relative risk of being identified with PBHL before nine months in infants with UNHS compared to infants without UNHS was 3.28 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.84, 5.85, one study, 1 023 497 newborns, low certainty evidence). The mean difference in the age of identification of PBHL in infants with UNHS compared to infants without UNHS was 13.2 months earlier (95% CI = -26.3, -0.01, two studies, 197 newborns, very low certainty evidence). The relative risk of infants eventually being identified with PBHL in infants with UNHS compared to infants without UNHS was 1.01 (95% CI = 0.89, 1.14, three studies, 1 023 497 newborns, low certainty evidence). At the latest follow-up at 3-8 years, the standardised mean difference (SMD) in receptive language development between infants with UNHS compared to infants without UNHS was 0.60 z scores (95% CI = 0.07, 1.13, one study, 101 children, low certainty evidence) and the mean difference in developmental quotients was 7.72 (95% CI = -0.03, 15.47, three studies, 334 children, very low certainty evidence). The SMD in expressive language development was 0.39 z scores (95% CI = -0.20, 0.97, one study, 87 children, low certainty evidence) and the mean difference in developmental quotients was 10.10 scores (95% CI = 1.47, 18.73, 3 studies, 334 children, very low certainty evidence).ConclusionsUNHS programs result in earlier identification of PBHL and may improve neurodevelopment. UNHS should be implemented across high-, middle-, and low-income countries.RegistrationPROSPERO (CRD42020175451)