Infants born extremely prematurely undergo extensive hospitalization, during which they are deprived of the maternal voice stimulation they would otherwise receive in utero. This population is typically faced with language delays and other developmental disabilities. Because premature infants are the same gestational age as late-stage fetuses, the premature newborn presents a unique opportunity to investigate how different aspects of prenatal exposure to maternal activity may influence language and cognitive development.
The researchers aim to investigate whether and what types of maternal sensory stimulation promote generalization of learning and development of language skills in postnatal development. This project will experimentally modulate the sensory environment inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) incubator to introduce different aspects of the fetus's prenatal sensory experience. Infants will experience daily transmission of maternal voice via either sounds (auditory), vibrations (tactile), or both during their stay in the NICU. The effect on subsequent language development will be examined through longitudinal follow up over two years. Results will inform the impact of linguistic and sensory environment on early human development. Data obtained from the proposed study will provide evidence to clarify the extent to which language development begins before full gestation. The work could also inform the development of inexpensive, non-intrusive methods for improving healthy development of preterm infants, who make up 12% of births in the US and are at risk for atypical language and cognitive outcomes.
