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An Assessment of Speech and Language Development in Medically Fragile Hospitalized Infants

Zeit, Katrina Lynn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin990803764

Abstract Details

2001, MA, University of Cincinnati, Allied Health Sciences : Communication Sciences and Disorders.
The purpose of this study was to add to the limited current knowledge regarding the preverbal speech and language skills of hospitalized medically fragile infants with and without tracheostomies. The preverbal speech and language skills of twenty-seven hospitalized infants ranging in age from 2 days to 22 months were evaluated using the Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale (Rossetti) (Rossetti, 1990). The amount of vocalization and eye contact made by the infants during adult interaction was also recorded. The study found a delay in the overall speech and language development of all subjects older than three months. Additionally, on the average subjects achieved fewer of the language expression skills examined by the Rossetti than any other language domain studied, including interaction/attachment, pragmatics, play and language comprehension.To make comparisons of speech and language development among medically fragile infants, subjects were divided into three groups: infants with tracheostomies, premature infants, and infants with medical complications other than tracheostomy or prematurity. Subjects with tracheostomies produced significantly fewer vocalizations in a set observation period than both of the other subject groups. This finding suggests that preverbal speech and language intervention for infants with tracheostomies should be prioritized, as this population may be at even higher risk for delayed communication than other medically fragile infants. The finding that on the average subjects of all ages scored the lowest proportions in expressive language suggests that decreased vocalizations may be the best predictor of later speech and language delay in medically fragile infants. Further research is necessary to determine if any of the delayed preverbal skills found in this study among medically fragile infants are indicators of future communication delays.
Kenneth Ruder (Advisor)
Ernest Weiler (Other)
1 p.
Health Sciences, Speech Pathology
speech and language; development; medically fragile infants; tracheostomy; NICU

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Zeit, K. L. (2001). An Assessment of Speech and Language Development in Medically Fragile Hospitalized Infants [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin990803764

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Zeit, Katrina. An Assessment of Speech and Language Development in Medically Fragile Hospitalized Infants. 2001. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin990803764.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Zeit, Katrina. "An Assessment of Speech and Language Development in Medically Fragile Hospitalized Infants." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin990803764

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin990803764
© 2001, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.