Language Disorders Among Non-Disabled Children After Perinatal Asphyxia: A Cross Sectional Descriptive Study Using Neurolinguistic Approach

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy after perinatal asphyxia causes neurolinguistic disturbances in children without disabilities. Poor academic performance appears as a long-term result. Language intervention is sought to reduce harmful effects on children. The aim of this study is showing the relationship between clinical conditions of hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy (HIE) and language disorders in children without disabilities. This cross-sectional study with a neurolinguistic approach was carried out in patients with perinatal asphyxia during childbirth, at the ZH Sikder Women's Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh. Respondents between 4 and 12 years, 76% underwent cranial computed tomography (CT); 82% underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); and 70% underwent electroencephalogram (EEG). Among them were found positive results for neonatal hypoxia ischemic encephalopathy (EHI). These results are related to the following language disorders: reception/perception disorder (64%), sociolinguistic disorders (84%); metalinguistic competence disorder (66%); 86% of children had poor peer relationships and 72% had reading and writing disorders. Concluding, school-age children after perinatal asphyxia who developed Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) had language disorders and poor school performance. There are still challenges to be overcome, as this is the first neurolinguistic approach in Bangladesh. More large-scale studies are needed.