Randomised control language intervention for infants of adolescent mothers

Aim: Create a Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA)-based intervention to increase adolescent and infant speech and improve 12-month language outcomes.

Methods: Randomised control trial of adolescent (15-19 years) mother-infant pairs comparing language-motor (intervention) and motor (control) groups. Intervention included reviewing language-motor curriculums, formative feedback on 4 LENA recordings (baseline, post-curriculum, 4 and 12-months) and 16-weekly language-motor texts. Controls reviewed a motor curriculum, summative feedback of four recordings after study completion and 4-monthly motor texts. Primary outcome was 12-month MacArthur scores. Secondary outcomes were LENA counts and social impacts to language outcomes.

Results: A total of 108 infants were randomised. Groups had similar baseline characteristics and LENA counts. Both groups had low maternal Peabody Picture Vocabulary age-equivalents (14.2 years). On post-curriculum recording, intervention infants had higher vocalisations (188 vs 109, P = .02) and conversations (49 vs 30, P = .005) than controls. Group 4-month and 12-month LENA counts and 12-month MacArthur scores were similar. In regression analyses, more people in the home and cohabiting with the infant's father were associated with higher MacArthur scores.

Conclusions: Linguistic feedback and a simple curriculum resulted in short-term increased vocalisations and conversational turns for infants of adolescent mothers that were not sustained over time. Household characteristics provided protective effects on outcomes.