Analysis Of Factors Influencing Delayed Language Development In Children Aged 1-4 Years

Objective:To gain a preliminary understanding of the factors associated with delayed language development by investigating the general situation,growth and developmental history,family background,parental personality,parenting behavior,and screen exposure time of children with language delay,to analyze the unfavorable and favorable factors for obtaining language delay,to improve the understanding of language delay,and to provide some theoretical basis for early identification of children with language abnormalities and timely intervention.Methods:Ninety children under the age of 4 years who were seen in the pediatric care unit of the Affiliated Hospital of Yan’an University from 2021.10 to 2022.12 and were diagnosed with speech delay and whose speech was assessed using the Gesell scale with a score of<86 were selected as the case group.A total of 186 healthy children who came to our pediatric department for physical examination during the same time period were selected as the control group.After communicating with and obtaining consent from the families of the children in both groups,a self-administered questionnaire was given to their families to understand the basic information,family background,and parenting behavior of the children,etc.The questionnaires were reviewed and collected on the spot for statistical analysis to clarify the relevant factors affecting delayed language development.Results:1.A total of 276 children were included in this trial,including 90 children in the language delay group,46 boys and 44 girls,with a mean age of 28.89±8.84 months,and186 children in the control group with normal language development,87 boys and 99 girls,with a mean age of 30.01±9.40 months.The average age of parents in the case group who found their children’s speech delay was 24.68±7.90 months,with a difference of 4.21±0.94 months between the discovery of the child’s speech delay and the visit to our hospital.2.Comparison of the Gesell scale results of children with language delay in different age groups showed that except for children with motor ability DQ values greater than normal values in 12-23 months,children with motor ability DQ values in 24-35 months and 36-48 months and DQ values of object ability,language,and adaptability in each age group were significantly smaller than normal values;at the same time,the children’s age of consultation was negatively correlated with the DQ values of each energy area of children with language delay.The age at presentation was negatively correlated with the DQ scores of the areas of the children with language delay,i.e.,the scores of the areas decreased significantly with increasing age at presentation,and there was a significant difference between the groups(P < 0.05).3.The results of the univariate analysis of language delay in children showed that only child,prematurity,history of high-risk medical conditions during the neonatal period,geographic area of upbringing,primary caregiver,primary caregiver’s literacy level,time spent by the child outdoors daily,mother’s literacy,household income,positive family history of language delay,parenting stress,parent-child interaction time with the child reading books and stories,playing games,time spent with the child when the child cries or The number of times the child was given electronic devices such as cell phones and computers as a reward when he or she was in a poor state or did not eat,the amount of media time the child spent each day,and the amount of time the mother spent looking at her cell phone during her leisure time were factors influencing the child’s speech delay(P< 0.05).4.Logistic regression analysis of children’s language delay showed that nonpremature birth,non-only child,no family history of language delay in the family,children’s screen exposure time <2h,and mother’s usual time spent watching electronic devices <2h were protective factors for children’s language delay;while low education level of primary caregivers(junior high school and below)and low family income(<5000yuan)were risk factors for children’s language delay.Conclusion:Non-premature birth,non-only child,no language delay in the family,less screen time for the child,and less time for the mother to watch electronics were protective factors for language delay in children;while low literacy of the primary caregiver and low household income were risk factors for language delay in children.