PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Adam M. Franks
AU  - Callie Seaman
AU  - Emily K. Franks
AU  - William Rollyson
AU  - Todd Davies
TI  - Parental Reading to Infants Improves Language Score: A Rural Family Medicine Intervention
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220064R2
DP  - 2022 Dec 23
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
PG  - 1156--1162
VI  - 35
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/6/1156.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/6/1156.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2022 Dec 23; 35
AB  - Introduction: Both expressive and receptive language development begins early in life. While the benefits of reading to toddlers (over 12 months old) is well-established, benefits of reading to infants (birth to 12 months old) is less established. This study’s objective is to determine if consistent reading to infants improves expressive and receptive language development during the first year of life.Methods: We prospectively randomized infants at a family medicine clinic during their 2-week-old visits and gave them a collection of books. Group A (n = 16) received no instructions, while patients in Group B (n = 18) committed to read 1 book a day. Parents in Group C (n = 18) enrolled after 34 weeks gestation, committed to read 1 book a day, and watch an infant brain development video. We obtained average book counts and both expressive and receptive language testing at standard preventative visits through 12 months.Results: Language scores did not differ between randomized groups. Always reading 7 books per week led to higher expressive, receptive and combined language scores at 9 months than sometimes reading fewer than 7 books per week (P = .025, 0.009 and 0.011 respectively). These differences increased by 12 months (P = .004, 0.002, and 0.003, respectively). Instructing parents to read daily encouraged parents to read more books per week at 4 months (P = .031) and 6 months (P = .049).Discussion: Early, consistent reading demonstrates improved language scores as early as 9 months of age. Setting expectations of minimal daily reading impacted daily reading compliance early in life.