U.S. flag
				An official website of the United States government
					Here's how you know
        Here's how you know
		U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
			|

			National Institutes of HealthDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
						
						A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
			Https**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
						
            A **lock** (A locked padlock)
            or **https://** means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.  **
Menu
NIDCD Employee Intranet | A–Z Index | En Español


    close

        
        
                      Home
      
    
              Health Info
      
                
  
          **Health Info**
          
    
              Hearing, Ear Infections, and Deafness
      
    
              Balance
      
    
              Taste and Smell
      
    
              Voice, Speech, and Language
      
    
              Información en español
      
    
              Statistics
      
    
              Health Resources
      
    
              Clinical Studies
      
    
              Adult Hearing Health Care
      
    
              Research
      
                
  
          **Research**
          
    
              Extramural Research
      
    
              Intramural Research
      
    
              Building a Diverse Scientific Workforce
      
    
              Scientific Workshop and Meeting Reports
      
    
              Clinical Studies
      
    
              Global Health
      
    
              Grants & Funding
      
                
  
          **Grants & Funding**
          
    
              Types of Grants and Funding
      
    
              How to Apply for a Grant
      
    
              All NIDCD Funding Opportunities
      
    
              The BRAIN Initiative and the NIDCD
      
    
              Training
      
                
  
          **Training**
          
    
              About NIDCD's Research Training Program
      
    
              Types of Research Training Funding Opportunities
      
    
              Research Training in NIDCD Laboratories (Intramural)
      
    
              More Training Resources
      
    
              News & Events
      
                
  
          **News & Events**
          
    
              NIDCD News
      
    
              Grantee News
      
    
              Multimedia
      
    
              Events
      
    
              Sign up. Stay informed.
      
    
              About Us
      
                
  
          **About Us**
          
    
              Messages from the NIDCD Director
      
    
              Mission
      
    
              Strategic Plans
      
    
              NIDCD History and Milestones
      
    
              Organizational Structure and Staff
      
    
              Job Opportunities
      
    
              Congressional Testimony and the NIDCD Budget
      
    
              Advisory Groups and Review Committees
      
    
              Contact Us
      
    
              Get Involved Breadcrumb
    Home
              News & Events
  
      Low birth weight linked to communication problems in children
            NIH-supported study tracks impact of a range of low birth weights up to age 10


September 25, 2019


            A speech-language pathologist leads a speech-language therapy session with a young boy.The effects of low birth weight on communication and developmental problems extend beyond the tiniest of babies and continue well into childhood, according to an analysis of follow-up survey data on a large, diverse group of children. Among the results, the researchers found that by age 10, children in all three standard categories of low birth weight were more likely to have been diagnosed with a speech-language disorder and to have received speech-language services than children who had been born at a normal weight. Funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health, the study appears in the September issue of Early Human Development.

Researchers from NIH, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and the University of Missouri tapped into existing data from the Missouri Maternal and Infant Health Survey about infants born during a 16-month period between 1989 and 1991. After 10 years, parents or other caregivers of nearly 870 children from the original survey filled out an extensive questionnaire about their children, including their medical, educational, and social services history. The data were grouped according to the children’s birth weights: extremely low (less than 2.2 pounds), very low (2.2 to 3.3 pounds), moderately low (3.3 to 5.5 pounds) and normal (more than 5.5 pounds).

Compared to children with normal birth weights, low birth weight children were two to three times more likely to have received speech-language therapy. While about 14.5% of children with a history of normal birth weight received speech-language therapy by age 10, about 28% of children with a history of moderately or very low birth weight, and 39% of children with extremely low birthweight had received therapy.

While there have been many other reports on the impact of low birth weight on child health and development, the current study stands out because of the diversity among the population, the range of birth weights assessed, and the length of the follow-up. Also, this study, unlike many others, has been case-controlled since birth, with the low birth weight infants having been matched with normal weight infants by date of birth, race, maternal age, and area of residence. By controlling for these factors, the researchers provide strong evidence that birth weight, independent of other factors, has a lasting impact on development and health.

“Our findings emphasize the importance of birth weight on health outcomes and the need for some therapeutic and special education services. Low birth weight can have major impacts on developmental health, independent of other factors such as sociodemographic factors, even ten years after birth,” noted Howard Hoffman, M.A., corresponding author of this study and director of the NIDCD Epidemiology and Statistics Program.

Compared to children who had been born at a normal birth weight, children across all categories of low birth weight were more likely to have used speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy services; had a higher incidence of pneumonia; and had weaker motor abilities and school performance. Even moderately low birth weight children were about three times more likely to repeat a grade than their normal birth weight counterparts.

Low birth weight was not linked to hearing loss or the use of hearing aids in this study, although parents of children with extremely low birth weight reported a significantly higher rate of special seating in classrooms because of hearing problems. However, hearing problems are often underdiagnosed and underreported, and this study reports on children who were born more than a decade before universal newborn hearing screening was required in Missouri, starting in 2002.

Infants with extremely low birth weights are typically screened for health problems. The new findings suggest that thorough screening by health care providers of all low birth weight children, even those with moderately low birth weight, may be important.

This study was supported by the NIDCD through research contract number N01-DC-7-2111 with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

**About the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD):**The NIDCD supports and conducts research and research training on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language and provides health information, based upon scientific discovery, to the public.

**About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):** NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 institutes and centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.
      
Last Updated Date:
      September 25, 2019
              Media Inquiries
    
      
            Contact the NIDCD press office at news@nidcd.nih.gov.
Related Topics

Epidemiology, Statistics, and Population Sciences Section
	Specific Language Impairment
	Speech and Language Developmental Milestones
Related Topics
    
      Quick Statistics About Voice, Speech, Language
          Speech and Language Developmental Milestones
          Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children
          Your Baby's Hearing and Communicative Development Checklist
          Dysphagia COVID-19
                              Accessibility
                              Contact Us
                              Free Publications
                              Freedom of Information Act
                              Privacy
                              Site Map
                              Syndication
                              Vulnerability Disclosure
                              Website Policies
                              Subscribe to NIDCD Email Updates 


    Follow Us:
                                                Facebook
                
                                                X

              31 Center Drive, MSC 2320, Bethesda, MD USA 20892-2320

              800-241-1044

                nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov

          U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
                National Institutes of Health
                USA.gov—Government Made Easy