Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare receptive and expressive language skills in premature and full-term babies under the newborn hearing screening follow-up program.

Material and Methods: A total of 130 babies were evaluated, of which 68 were premature and 62 were healthy full-term babies. Hearing function was assessed in all infants with the Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) tests according to hospital’s screening protocol and found normal in all. Assessment of receptive and expressive language skills in both premature and full-term babies was based on the Preschool Language Scale-Fifth Edition (PLS-5) language test. PLS-5 items were applied face-to-face with the mothers of the babies, using the question-answer technique. The test time is on average 80 days for premature babies and 41 days for term babies.

Results: As a result of the study, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of auditory perception and expressive language age (p>0.05). Nevertheless, the results showed a high positive correlation between auditory perception and expressive language age in premature infants and a moderate positive correlation between the same in full-term babies. In both infant groups, auditory perception skills increase in parallel with the expressive language skills.

Conclusion: Premature birth is a risk factor for language development and negative effects begin to show as the premature baby grows (especially after 6-12 months). Therefore, it is important to monitor and assess premature babies during the critical age bracket of linguistic development, which is 0-2 years, for an early diagnosis and treatment of linguistic delays that may affect them later in life.

Keywords: Hearing, Language, Neonatal Screening, Newborn, Speech

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1.
Şahlı AS, Sungur G, Tayman C. Comparison of Early Language Skills of Premature and Full-term Infants. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2021 Nov. 26 [cited 2025 May 24];15(6):501-6. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/741