Understanding how preterm birth affects infant attention and language learning
Official title: Early Predictors of Infant-Parent Coordinated Attention and Word Learning in Preterm and Full-Term Infants
Funded at University of South Carolina at Columbia · NIH-10987166 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how being born early affects babies' ability to pay attention and learn words from their parents, so we can better understand the challenges preterm infants face in developing language skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Carolina at Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $214,925 |
| NIH project number | 1R21HD113861-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10987166 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are infants born preterm (before 37 weeks of gestation) and their parents.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are full-term infants or those who do not have concerns related to language development may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of preterm birth on the ability of infants to coordinate attention with their caregivers and learn words. It focuses on how preterm infants, compared to full-term infants, may face challenges in visual attention and motor skills that are crucial for language development. By observing interactions between infants and their parents, the study aims to uncover the mechanisms that influence language acquisition in preterm infants. The research will utilize various assessment tools to measure attention and language learning outcomes over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for supporting language development in preterm infants.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been extensive research on full-term infants, this specific investigation into preterm infants' coordinated attention and language learning is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Carolina at Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fu, Xiaoxue — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Fu, Xiaoxue
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.