Kathy Newnam, UT assistant professor of nursing, and Jessica Hay, UT associate professor of psychology, will present “Baby Talk in the NICU” Friday, April 16 via Zoom.
Infants born preterm are at a critical stage of auditory development in a less-than-optimal environment. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a high-tech but low-touch environment where directed infant speech is sporadic and at times absent. Great disparities exist for those infants whose parents rarely visit. Previous research suggests that the quantity and quality of speech that infants hear is positively correlated with their future language proficiency.
Professors Newnam and Hay will discuss their research, which centers around the hypothesis that parental engagement through directed language is a low-risk, readily available intervention that can be used to reduce stress in the preterm infant and lead to improved brain development.
The UT Science Forum takes place via Zoom Friday, April 16 from noon to 1 p.m. Registration is required. Once registered, you will receive a link to join the Zoom presentation.
Click here to register for the April 16 Science Forum presentation.
Photo by Jill Sauve on Unsplash