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Expert Q&A
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| By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist | ||
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Does premature birth affect speech development?
Children who are born prematurely have been reported to have a higher risk of speech and language difficulties as compared to full-term babies. However, recent research has revealed that there are no differences in language development between premature and full-term babies.
Some factors that can influence speech and language difficulties include: history of hearing difficulties, family history of speech and language delays and perinatal factors (i.e. difficulties during pregnancy, respiratory distress). Premature babies are more sensitive to acquiring these factors. Therefore, premature children can be more susceptible to having speech and language difficulties."
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