title: Leveraging the Skills of Nurses and the Power of Language Nutrition to Ensure a Better Future for Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early language exposure is critical for language acquisition and significantly influences a child's literacy skills. However, preterm infants may experience language deprivation in the neonatal intensive care unit. Nurses are vital to helping parents understand their critical role in early language development.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the impact of language-rich interactions and interventions that promote early language exposure, or Language Nutrition, by parents and caregivers on the long-term developmental, language, and educational outcomes of high-risk infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science to identify articles that examined the influence of language interactions with high-risk infants on developmental outcomes. Recent campaigns touting the importance of early language exposure were identified through the Bridging the Word Gap Research Network.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increasing preterm infants' exposure to Language Nutrition improves their language development, promotes parent-infant attachment, and decreases parent stress. In addition, it may result in greater neuroplasticity and volume of the auditory cortex. Several campaigns have been developed to increase children's access to Language Nutrition and can be implemented into everyday pediatric and neonatal care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric, neonatal nurses and advanced practice nurses are uniquely positioned to play a transformational role in high-risk infants' developmental trajectory by educating parents about the importance of Language Nutrition and supporting parents as they engage with their infant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studies investigating the population-level impact of interventions aimed at increasing infants' access to Language Nutrition as well as studies identifying effective ways to communicate messages about Language Nutrition are warranted.
authors.affiliation: George Washington University School of Nursing, and George Washington Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia (Dr Darcy Mahoney); Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Head Zauche); Villanova School of Nursing, Pennsylvania (Dr Hallowell); Get Georgia Reading-Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Atlanta, Georgia (Ms Weldon); and Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, and Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Stapel-Wax).
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darcy Mahoney
authors.forename: Lauren Head
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zauche
authors.forename: Sunny
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hallowell
authors.forename: Arianne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weldon
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stapel-Wax
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D000067010:Literacy; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*