Prenatal Volume in the Bilateral Superior Temporal Gyrus Associates with Children's Expressive Vocabulary at 24-36 Months
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| Title: | Prenatal Volume in the Bilateral Superior Temporal Gyrus Associates with Children's Expressive Vocabulary at 24-36 Months |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Annika Werwach (ORCID |
| Source: | Developmental Science. 2026 29(3). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 10 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Brain Hemisphere Functions, Expressive Language, Vocabulary Development, Toddlers, Language Acquisition, Language Skills, Prenatal Influences, Correlation, Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom (England) |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70187 |
| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| Abstract: | Children's language development starts in utero, with language-relevant brain areas starting to develop and differentiate during the second trimester of pregnancy. Postnatal development in language-relevant brain areas such as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) has been shown to be related to language skills. In this study, as part of the Cambridge Human Imaging and Longitudinal Development (CHILD) project, prenatal structural characteristics of the IFG and STG (30th - 33rd GW) and their association with English children's language skills, obtained longitudinally at two postnatal assessment points (n = 24 and n = 25) was examined. Prenatal bilateral STG volume was found to be associated with expressive vocabulary 2-3 years after birth (M = 139.1 weeks), as measured by the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI). These results highlight the relevance of prenatal brain development for language acquisition after birth. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Notes: | https://github.com/annikawerwach/CHILD-volume-vocab/tree/main/materials |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504471 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Children's language development starts in utero, with language-relevant brain areas starting to develop and differentiate during the second trimester of pregnancy. Postnatal development in language-relevant brain areas such as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) has been shown to be related to language skills. In this study, as part of the Cambridge Human Imaging and Longitudinal Development (CHILD) project, prenatal structural characteristics of the IFG and STG (30th - 33rd GW) and their association with English children's language skills, obtained longitudinally at two postnatal assessment points (n = 24 and n = 25) was examined. Prenatal bilateral STG volume was found to be associated with expressive vocabulary 2-3 years after birth (M = 139.1 weeks), as measured by the Communicative Development Inventory (CDI). These results highlight the relevance of prenatal brain development for language acquisition after birth. |
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| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70187 |
