Listening to mom in the neonatal intensive care unit: a randomized trial of increased maternal speech exposure on white matter connectivity in infants born preterm.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Early speech experiences are presumed to contribute to the development of brain structures involved in processing speech. Previous research has been limited to correlational studies. Here, we conducted a randomized trial with neonates born preterm to determine whether increased exposure to maternal speech during NICU hospitalization is causally linked to structural white matter maturation.

Study design

We enrolled 46 neonates born preterm (24-31 weeks gestational age). Participants were randomly assigned to receive increased (T: n = 21) or routine (C: n = 25) exposure to mother's speech. The T-group heard 10-min audio recordings of their mothers reading a children's story two times/hour between 10pm and 6am, increasing speech exposure by 2.67 h/day. T

SUBMITTER: Travis KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12558918 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature