[Comparison of vocalization development between normal and congenitally hearing impaired infants during pre-language period].
OBJECTIVE
To compare the characteristics of vocalization and relevant perceptual characteristics between normal hearing infants and congenitally hearing impaired infants during pre-language period.


METHODS
Speech spectrograms were analyzed, and the presentation time and frequency of pre-canonical babbling, canonical babbling, pointing behaviors and meaningful words were compared and statistically analyzed among 18 normal hearing infants, 11 profoundly congenitally hearing impaired infants that were divided into 2 groups: group A of deaf infants (n = 11) to be aided before 8 months of age and group B of deaf infant (n = 17) to be aided after 8 months of age.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the presentation time and frequency of pre-canonical babbling among the 3 groups. Canonical babbling, pointing behaviors and meaningful words occurred the earliest and with the highest frequency in the normal hearing group, followed by the group A of deaf infants and group B of deaf infants in succession.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-canonical babbling appears in profoundly hearing impaired infants, suggesting that it is a kind of phonation activity free of hearing feedback. Better language development can be achieved when early intervention is carried out for congenitally hearing impaired infants within 8 months of age.
Huang
Li-hui
LH
Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, China.
Kaga
Kimi-taka
KT
Han
De-min
DM
Wang
Tao
T
D000367:Age Factors; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000151:congenital* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D010700:Phonetics; D013067:Speech Perception