Communication skills of biologically at-risk neonates

Abstract

Early communication intervention has advanced to include neonatal assessment and management. Currently, however, there are limited diagnostic tools developed from a speech-language pathology and audiology perspective. The purpose of the study was to design a comprehensive neonatal communication assessment protocol and use it to describe the communication skills of 50 biologically at-risk neonates (852g-3060g birthweight). The results indicated that the subjects' general development was within normal limits, but their communication abilities displayed a serious delay. A high risk register consisting of 13 factors predicting the subjects' communication abilities was compiled. The length of time before the subjects could successfully take bottle feeds was found to be the strongest predictor of their communication development. The study is of particular relevance to the present South African context which has an increased incidence of low birth weight, thus rendering an enlarged population of biologically at-risk neonates.