Number of words at age 2.5 years is associated to intellectual functioning at age 7 years in the SELMA-studyShow others and affiliations
2021 (English)In: Acta Paediatrica, ISSN 0803-5253, E-ISSN 1651-2227, Vol. 110, no 7, p. 2134-2141Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
AIM: We examined the association between number of words used at age 2.5 years, and deficits in intellectual functioning at age 7 years, in 549 children, and if such association is confirmed by parental concern about the child's development.
METHODS: Parental reports of how many words their children used at age 2.5 years were analyzed for the association to intellectual functioning (assessed with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition,WISC-IV) at age 7 years using linear regression, adjusting for sex, maternal education level, parental IQ, and smoking during pregnancy. Parental concern at age 7 years was examined with the Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations-Questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q).
RESULTS: Adjusted linear regression showed that use of 50 words or fewer at age 2.5 years, relative to use of more than 50 words, was associated with lower scores of Full-scale IQ (B=7.27, p=.001), verbal comprehension (B=8.53, p<.001), working memory (B=9.04, p<.001), and perceptual reasoning (B=4.21, p=.045), in the WISC-IV, at age 7 years. Parental concern was more common in the group that used 50 words or fewer (Mann-Whitney U-test, p=.011).
CONCLUSION: This easily accessible measure of number of words seems to be a valuable marker for intellectual functioning later in life.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc., 2021. Vol. 110, no 7, p. 2134-2141
Keywords [en]
Intellectual functioning, language development, screening
National Category
Pediatrics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-90340DOI: 10.1111/apa.15835ISI: 000629645700001PubMedID: 33686710Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85102636789OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-90340DiVA, id: diva2:1536114
Funder
EU, Horizon 2020
Note
Funding Agency:
Region Värmland
2021-03-102021-03-102021-12-15Bibliographically approved