Abstract Auditory comprehension (AC) develops during the first years of life; however, not all children exhibit typical performance, which may result from the interaction of multiple factors. Therefore, our study aimed to identify the predictive factors of AC in infants with prenatal and perinatal risk factors for atypical brain structure. To test this, a longitudinal study was conducted with 51 participants (28 females; mean age = 36.8 ± 1.4 months). Clinical, demographic, anthropometric, motor, neuropsychological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were collected from birth to 36 months. A regression model revealed that the age at achievement of fine motor milestones, gestational weeks, corpus callosum volume and maternal age were predictive of AC at 36 months. Moreover, the mental development index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-2 (BSID-2) assessment at 12 months predicted AC scores at 36 months. We concluded that AC is influenced by caregivers’ interactions and motor development, thereby facilitating new learning opportunities, but is also affected by the neuropathological patterns associated with their risk condition. In addition, early identification of predictor factors may enable targeted interventions during sensitive developmental periods.
Alatorre-Cruz et al. (Thu,) studied this question.