Language Development Disorders

Are genetic factors underlying children's language development linked to later-life outcomes? In a genome-wide analysis, an international research team found genetic associations between children's early vocabulary size and later-life ADHD, literacy, and general cognition. These associations changed dynamically across the first three years of life. Both producing more words in infancy and understanding fewer words in toddlerhood were associated with a higher risk of ADHD. Early language development is an important predictor of children's later language, reading and learning skills. Moreover, language learning difficulties are related to neurodevelopmental conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children typically start to utter their first words between 10 and 15 months of age. At around two years of age, they may produce between 100 -- 600 words, and understand many more. Each child embarks on its own developmental path of language learning, resulting in large individual differences. "Some variation in language development can be related to variation in the genetic code stored in our cells," says senior researcher Beate St Pourcain, lead scientist on the study. Word production and understanding To understand how genetics plays a role in the development of children's word production and understanding, the team carried out a genome-wide meta-analysis study (GWAS) of infant (15-18 months) and toddler (24-38 months) vocabulary size. In early measures of vocabulary size, parents report which words their children say and/or understand from a given word list. The team used vocabulary and genetic data from 17,298 English-, Danish- or Dutch-speaking children. The number of spoken words was available for both infants and toddlers. The number of understood words was only available for toddlers. Later-life outcomes were mostly studied with genetic summary information from large independent consortia. These included literacy (spelling, reading, and phoneme awareness), cognition (general intelligence and number of years of education) and neurodevelopmental conditions (genetic risk of ADHD and ASD, as well as directly observed ADHD-related symptoms in some of the studied children). "Learning to speak" and "Speaking to learn" The researchers identified multiple genetic factors underlying vocabulary size in infancy and toddlerhood. Consistently, genetic associations with later-life literacy, cognition and ADHD-related measures varied during development. Both infant and toddler word production were related to literacy abilities such as spelling, but associations with general cognition were only found for toddler vocabulary scores. Toddlers have mastered some language fluency and may "speak to learn," involving higher-level cognitive processing, while the development of verbal abiltities may start earlier. The team also found that in infancy, a larger number of spoken words was genetically associated with both an increased risk for ADHD and more ADHD symptoms. However, this genetic relationship was reversed in toddlerhood: there, a smaller number of understood words was associated with more ADHD symptoms. It is possible that in infancy, when children are "learning to speak," the number of spoken words captures speech-related processes. Also, children with a higher genetic risk of ADHD may be inclined to express themselves more. In contrast, during the phase of "speaking to learn" when vocabulary size is linked to cognition, higher genetic ADHD risk may be associated with lower verbal and cognitive abilities. According to St Pourcain, "Genetic influences underlying vocabulary size rapidly change across less than two years during infancy and toddlerhood. Adopting a developmental perspective, our findings provide a better understanding of early speech- and language-related aetiological processes in health and disorder." First author Ellen Verhoef adds: "This research indicates the relevance of vocabulary size assessed during the first few years in life for future behaviour and cognition, emphasising the need for more data collection efforts during infancy and toddlerhood." Early language development is an important predictor of children's later language, reading and learning skills. Moreover, language learning difficulties are related to neurodevelopmental conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children typically start to utter their first words between 10 and 15 months of age. At around two years of age, they may produce between 100 -- 600 words, and understand many more. Each child embarks on its own developmental path of language learning, resulting in large individual differences. "Some variation in language development can be related to variation in the genetic code stored in our cells," says senior researcher Beate St Pourcain, lead scientist on the study. Word production and understanding To understand how genetics plays a role in the development of children's word production and understanding, the team carried out a genome-wide meta-analysis study (GWAS) of infant (15-18 months) and toddler (24-38 months) vocabulary size. In early measures of vocabulary size, parents report which words their children say and/or understand from a given word list. The team used vocabulary and genetic data from 17,298 English-, Danish- or Dutch-speaking children. The number of spoken words was available for both infants and toddlers. The number of understood words was only available for toddlers. Later-life outcomes were mostly studied with genetic summary information from large independent consortia. These included literacy (spelling, reading, and phoneme awareness), cognition (general intelligence and number of years of education) and neurodevelopmental conditions (genetic risk of ADHD and ASD, as well as directly observed ADHD-related symptoms in some of the studied children). "Learning to speak" and "Speaking to learn" The researchers identified multiple genetic factors underlying vocabulary size in infancy and toddlerhood. Consistently, genetic associations with later-life literacy, cognition and ADHD-related measures varied during development. Both infant and toddler word production were related to literacy abilities such as spelling, but associations with general cognition were only found for toddler vocabulary scores. Toddlers have mastered some language fluency and may "speak to learn," involving higher-level cognitive processing, while the development of verbal abiltities may start earlier. The team al The team used vocabulary and genetic data from 17,298 English-, Danish- or Dutch-speaking children. The number of spoken words was available for both infants and toddlers. The number of understood words was only available for toddlers. Later-life outcomes were mostly studied with genetic summary information from large independent consortia. These included literacy (spelling, reading, and phoneme awareness), cognition (general intelligence and number of years of education) and neurodevelopmental conditions (genetic risk of ADHD and ASD, as well as directly observed ADHD-related symptoms in some of the studied children). "Learning to speak" and "Speaking to learn" The researchers identified multiple genetic factors underlying vocabulary size in infancy and toddlerhood. Consistently, genetic associations with later-life literacy, cognition and ADHD-related measures varied during development. Both infant and toddler word production were related to literacy abilities such as spelling, but associations with general cognition were only found for toddler vocabulary scores. Toddlers have mastered some language fluency and may "speak to learn," involving higher-level cognitive processing, while the development of verbal abiltities may start earlier. The team also found that in infancy, a larger number of spoken words was genetically associated with both an increased risk for ADHD and more ADHD symptoms. However, this genetic relationship was reversed in toddlerhood: there, a smaller number of understood words was associated with more ADHD symptoms. It is possible that in infancy, when children are "learning to speak," the number of spoken words captures speech-related processes. Also, children with a higher genetic risk of ADHD may be inclined to express themselves more. In contrast, during the phase of "speaking to learn" when vocabulary size is linked to cognition, higher genetic ADHD risk may be associated with lower verbal and cognitive abilities. According to St Pourcain, "Genetic influences underlying vocabulary size rapidly change across less than two years during infancy and toddlerhood. Adopting a developmental perspective, our findings provide a better understanding of early speech- and language-related aetiological processes in health and disorder." First author Ellen Verhoef adds: "This research indicates the relevance of vocabulary size assessed during the first few years in life for future behaviour and cognition, emphasising the need for more data collection efforts during infancy and toddlerhood." Early language development is an important predictor of children's later language, reading and learning skills. Moreover, language learning difficulties are related to neurodevelopmental conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children typically start to utter their first words between 10 and 15 months of age. At around two years of age, they may produce between 100 -- 600 words, and understand many more. Each child embarks on its own developmental path of language learning, resulting in large individual differences. "Some variation in language development can be related to variation in the genetic code stored in our cells," says senior researcher Beate St Pourcain, lead scientist on the study. Word production and understanding To understand how genetics plays a role in the development of children's word production and understanding, the team carried out a genome-wide meta-analysis study (GWAS) of infant (15-18 months) and toddler (24-38 months) vocabulary size. In early measures of vocabulary size, parents report which words their children say and/or understand from a given word list. The team used vocabulary and genetic data from 17,298 English-, Danish- or Dutch-speaking children. The number of spoken words was available for both infants and toddlers. The number of understood words was only available for toddlers. Later-life outcomes were mostly studied with genetic summary information from large independent consortia. These included literacy (spelling, reading, and phoneme awareness), cognition (general intelligence and number of years of education) and neurodevelopmental conditions (genetic risk of ADHD and ASD, as well as directly observed ADHD-related symptoms in some of the studied children). "Learning to speak" and "Speaking to learn" The researchers identified multiple genetic factors underlying vocabulary size in infancy and toddlerhood. Consistently, genetic associations with later-life literacy, cognition and ADHD-related measures varied during development. Both infant and toddler word production were related to literacy abilities such as spelling, but associations with general cognition were only found for toddler vocabulary scores. Toddlers have mastered some language fluency and may "speak to learn," involving higher-level cognitive processing, while the development of verbal abiltities may start earlier. The team also found that in infancy, a larger number of spoken words was genetically associated with both an increased risk for ADHD and more ADHD symptoms. However, this genetic relationship was reversed in toddlerhood: there, a smaller number of understood words was associated with more ADHD symptoms. It is possible that in infancy, when children are "learning to speak," the number of spoken words captures speech-related processes. Also, children with a higher genetic risk of ADHD may be inclined to express themselves more. In contrast, during the phase of "speaking to learn" when vocabulary size is linked to cognition, higher genetic ADHD risk may be associated with lower verbal and cognitive abilities. According to St Pourcain, "Genetic influences underlying vocabulary size rapidly change across less than two years during infancy and toddlerhood. Adopting a developmental perspective, our findings provide a better understanding of early speech- and language-related aetiological processes in health and disorder." First author Ellen Verhoef adds: "This research indicates the relevance of vocabulary size assessed during the first few years in life for future behaviour and cognition, emphasising the need for more data collection efforts during infancy and toddlerhood."

Children prenatally exposed to anesthesia for maternal surgery during pregnancy were significantly more likely than unexposed children to receive a diagnosis of a disruptive or internalizing behavioral disorder including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavioral disorders, developmental speech or language disorders and autism, according to a new study. Children prenatally exposed to anesthesia for maternal surgery during pregnancy were significantly more likely than unexposed children to receive a diagnosis of a disruptive or internalizing behavioral disorder including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavioral disorders, developmental speech or language disorders and autism, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). Until now associations between prenatal exposure to general anesthesia for maternal surgery during pregnancy and subsequent risk of behavioral disorders in children was unclear. The findings are published online in the British Journal of Anesthesia. Prenatal exposure to general anesthesia was associated with a 31 percent increased risk for a subsequent disruptive or internalizing behavioral disorder (DIBD) diagnosis in children, with higher risk when the exposure occurred in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. The probabilities of DIBD diagnosis between exposed and unexposed children were similar in the first three years of life, but diverged thereafter. "For several years there have been concerns about the long-term neurodevelopmental effects of anesthetic exposure in children, with the FDA in 2016 releasing a Drug Safety Communication warning against repeated or lengthy use of anesthesia in young children and pregnant women," said Caleb Ing, MD, MS, associate professor of Anesthesiology and Epidemiology at Columbia Public Health and CUIMC and first author. "Studies evaluating exposures in children however have been limited because children needing surgery and anesthesia may have more underlying health problems which may predispose them to neurodevelopmental disorders. Prenatal exposures are particularly relevant because general anesthetic drugs cross the placenta, and since the need for anesthesia is related to maternal medical problems, the risk of bias due to underlying health problems in children is reduced, according to the authors. "However, caution is advised, as many procedures in pregnant women may be necessary, and avoidance of necessary procedures can have detrimental effects on mothers and their children," advises Ing. The study population was drawn from Medicaid Analytic eXPrenatal eXtract for general anesthetic exposure and was identified using maternal claims with International Classification of Disease for either an appendectomy or cholecystectomy which are the two most common non-obstetric procedures performed during pregnancy. Exposures were classified as occurring in the first, second, or third trimester of pregnancy. The researchers also controlled for a variety of factors including age, race, ethnicity, state of residence, income based on zipcode, and Medicaid enrollment for disability vs. poverty. Each prenatally exposed child was matched with five unexposed children. The population consisted of 16,778,231 deliveries linked to an infant born between 1999 and 2013 with known sex. Of those, 34,271 children were exposed to general anesthesia due to maternal appendectomy or cholecystectomy during pregnancy. "This study provides compelling evidence that prenatal exposure to surgery and general anesthesia may have adverse effects on children's neurobehavioral development ," said Guohua Li, MD, DrPH, professor of Epidemiology and Anesthesiology at Columbia Mailman School and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and senior author. "Our findings could help inform preoperative risk assessment in pregnant women, especially when the surgical procedure is elective or when viable treatment is available. Results of this study also give added impetus to research on safer anesthetic drugs and techniques." Co-authors are Jeffrey H. Silber,,Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Deven Lackraj, Stanford Chihuri, and Ling Guo , Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons; Mark Olfson and Melanie Wall, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons; Caleb Miles, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health; Joseph G. Reiter and Siddharth Jain, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; and Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, University of California San Diego. The study was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), grant R01HS026493.

TUESDAY, Jan. 23, 2024 -- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the evidence is currently inadequate for recommending primary care screening for speech and language delay and disorders among asymptomatic children aged 5 years and youngert. These findings form the basis of a final recommendation statement published in the Jan. 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association . Cynthia Feltner, M.D., M.P.H., from RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center, and colleagues reviewed the evidence on screening for speech and language delay or disorders in children aged 5 years or younger to inform the USPSTF. Thirty-eight studies from 41 articles were included, with 9,006 participants. The researchers found that none of the studies assessed the direct benefits of screening versus no screening. Consistently high sensitivity and specificity were found in three studies assessing parent-reported tools for expressive language skills. There was wide variation noted in the accuracy of other screening tools. Benefit was found for different measures of expressive language skills in two randomized controlled trials evaluating relatively intensive parental group training interventions; no difference was seen for any outcomes in one trial assessing a less intensive intervention. Based on these findings, the USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is inadequate for assessing the balance of benefits and harms of screening for speech and language delay and disorders among children without signs or symptoms or parent/caregiver-reported concerns (I statement). "In the absence of evidence, health care professionals should use their judgment when deciding whether or not to screen children who are not showing signs of speech and language delay and disorders," USPSTF member Li LI, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, said in a statement. Evidence Report Final Recommendation Statement Editorial Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions. Posted January 2024 More news resources FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts Daily MedNews News for Health Professionals New Drug Approvals New Drug Applications Drug Shortages Clinical Trial Results Generic Drug Approvals Subscribe to our newsletter Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.