PRELAN-study

Background information

Nowadays, 10% of all live-births is premature, which amounts for approximately 500,000 preterm infants in Europe each year. Approximately 40% of infants born at 24-32 weeks’ gestational age show neurodevelopmental problems later on, with ensuing lifelong burdens for the up-growing individuals and their families, including language disorders. It is essential to understand why some children score worse than others. However, the exact underlying critical factors for these language problems at school age have not been established so far.

Overall aim 

1. Longitudinally describe the language and speech development in children born very preterm between the ages of 2, 4 and 10 years.
2. Investigate whether these language outcomes along the trajectory are related to atypical development of the brain.
3. Ascertain why some children born preterm experience language problems at school age and others do not.

Research method 

This study is a single-centre longitudinal observational cohort study. In a group of 84 children born very preterm language functions, hearing functions, intelligence and behaviour were assessed at the age of 2. In 62 of these children these measures were assessed again at the age of 4. At the age of 10, 63 children were assessed and a structural MRI/DTI and measurement of auditory event related potentials (AERP) were added to the protocol.

Desirable outcome

We hypothesize that preterm children are growing into a deficit, which means that problems with (complex) language increase during childhood compared to norm data. However, we also expect to find within-group differences; preterm children with more bilateral language organization will have more language difficulties and will have more problems with complex hearing.

This study is funded by Dr. C.J. Vaillant fonds, Stichting Mitialto, Stichting Coolsingel and Stichting Sophia Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (SSWO).

Collaborations within Erasmus MC

• Department of Otorhinolaryngology  (Speech, language and hearing centre).
• Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics. 
• Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology.

Collaborations outside Erasmus MC

UMC Utrecht, Dep of Neonatology, Jeroen Dudink PhD.

• Auditory brainstem in normal-hearing infants born preterm: a meta-analysis.
• Language outcome related to brain structures in school-aged preterm children: a systematic review. 10.1371/journal.pone.0196607
• Noort-van der Spek IL van, Franken MC, Weisglas-Kuperus N (2012) Language functions in preterm-born children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pediatrics. 2012 Apr;129(4):745-54.

• Marie-Christine Franken, PhD 
• Lottie Stipdonk, MSc 
• Inge van Noort-van der Spek MA