RESULTS : Preterm-born children scored significantly lower compared with term-born children on simple ( d = –0.45 [ 95 % CI : –0.59 to –0.30 ] ; P < .001 ) and on complex ( d = –0.62 [ 95 % CI : –0.82 to –0.43 ] ; P < .001 ) language function tests , even in the absence of major disabilities and independent of social economic status .
: While growing up , preterm-born children have increasing difficulties with complex language function
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE : Preterm-born children ( < 37 weeks ’ gestation ) have higher rates of language function problems compared with term-born children .
It is unknown whether these problems decrease , deteriorate , or remain stable over time .
The goal of this research was to determine the developmental course of language functions in preterm-born children from 3 to 12 years of age .
High Prevalence/Low Severity Language Delay in Preschool Children Born Very Preterm
Objective : To examine the language development at corrected age 4 years of a regionally representative cohort of children born very preterm ( VPT ) . Of particular interest was the identification of biological and socioenvironmental risk and protective factors that influence  VPT children 's early language development . Method : Data were collected as part of a prospect i ve longitudinal study of 110 VPT ( VPT : ≤33 weeks gestation ) and 113 full-term children ( full term : 37–41 weeks gestation ) born in Canterbury , New Zeal and from 1998 to 2000 . At corrected age 4 years , all children were assessed with the preschool version of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals . Extensive information was also collected about children 's family social background , perinatal health , childrearing environment , education/intervention exposures , and neurodevelopmental progress from birth to age 4 . Results : At the age of 4 years , VPT children were characterized by poorer receptive and expressive language development than full-term children . These differences persisted after exclusion of children with neurosensory impairment as well as statistical adjustment for the effects of social risk . Within the VPT group , the key predictors of children 's overall language development were family social risk at birth ( p = .05 ) , severity of white matter abnormalities on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging ( p = .49 ) , observed parent-child synchrony ( p = .001 ) , and concurrent child cognitive ability ( p = .001 ) . Together , these factors accounted for 45 % of the variance in children 's total Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals — Preschool scores . Conclusion : By preschool age , children born VPT  show early emerging mild to moderate language delays that are likely to affect their school success and longer-term developmental progress . Findings highlight the importance of potentially modifiable factors such as early brain injury and parenting quality in predicting the language outcomes of children born VPT
RESULTS : Preterm-born children scored significantly lower compared with term-born children on simple ( d = –0.45 [ 95 % CI : –0.59 to –0.30 ] ; P < .001 ) and on complex ( d = –0.62 [ 95 % CI : –0.82 to –0.43 ] ; P < .001 ) language function tests , even in the absence of major disabilities and independent of social economic status .
: While growing up , preterm-born children have increasing difficulties with complex language function
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE : Preterm-born children ( < 37 weeks ’ gestation ) have higher rates of language function problems compared with term-born children .
It is unknown whether these problems decrease , deteriorate , or remain stable over time .
The goal of this research was to determine the developmental course of language functions in preterm-born children from 3 to 12 years of age .