The proposed study will analyze mealtime communication and oral-motor feeding skills in 6-month- old African American infants who were born prematurely, and will examine whether these skills predict later speech and language development at 2 years of age. Having an increased understanding of the specific oral- motor feeding skills and mealtime communicative acts of preterm infants at 6 months of age that are predictive of speech and language skills at 24 months of age will enable professionals to partner with families in the future in early interventions for feeding and early language difficulties. This dissertation research study proposal specifically addresses the first Health Protection Goal of the CDC: Healthy People in Every Stage of Life- Start Strong (Infants and Toddlers, ages 0-3 years). This health impact goal states that, All people, and especially those at greater risk of health disparities, will achieve their optimal lifespan with the best possible quality of health in every stage of life (CDC, 2006). The health disparities of rural, African American premature infants are significant, and the sample of children to be studied from this population represents a group of infants and young children that are vulnerable and at risk for poor developmental outcomes. Therefore, the specific aims of this dissertation research study are to: ? ? 1. Examine the characteristics of early oral-motor feeding skills in African American premature infants at six months of age. 2. Examine the characteristics of early communicative behavioral acts of these infants during mealtimes at six months of age. 3. Explore the relationship between these early oral-motor feeding skills and communicative behavioral acts during mealtimes at six months of age with later language skills at 2 years of age. 4. Determine which early oral-motor feeding skills and communicative acts at 6 months of age are most predictive of later speech and language skills at 2 years of age in these at risk infants. ? ? ? ?
