Bilingual Exposure Following Preterm Birth: Toddler Language Outcomes and Cumulative Risk Factors

This project investigated the relationship between bilingual exposure and language development in toddlers who were born preterm (at or before 36 weeks gestation). We enrolled toddlers who were born preterm and their primary caregivers in three language groups: English monolinguals, Spanish monolinguals, and Spanish-English bilinguals. Our research team collected parent surveys, standardized toddler language assessments, and video recordings of caregiver-child interactions. Data was collected when toddlers were 24 months old, 27 months old, and 30 months old (adjusted age). We compared the language development of toddlers in the three language groups to test the hypothesis that bilingual exposure led to similar patterns of language development as monolingual exposure for toddlers born preterm. In line with this hypothesis, we found similar patterns of development for vocabulary size, spoken language comprehension, and expressive communication skills among bilingual and monolingual toddlers who were born preterm.