Effects of prematurity and socio‐economic status on early life language exposure: A video coding study

Abstract Preterm birth is associated with later language impairment and delay. Socio‐economic deprivation is linked to decreased language exposure in early childhood, but it is unknown how prematurity influences this relationship. This study investigated the effects of socio‐economic status and gestational age at birth on language exposure, in a sample of 47 preterm and 53 term infant‐parent dyads. Videos were coded for parental language and gesture using a novel coding scheme. Video codes revealed no significant differences in the language and gesture used by parents of preterm infants versus term infants during interaction. Socio‐economic status was positively correlated with quantity and variety of words used, and mean length of utterance (all r > .25, p < .015). Deprivation, and especially the increased prevalence of deprivation among the preterm population, may be a key factor to consider when examining the risk of language delay for infants born early.