Infant feeding, non-nutritive sucking and speech development
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effect of different feeding methods and non-nutritive sucking behaviours on child speech development
IRAS ID
230190
Contact name
Samantha Burr
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of the West of England
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
Background:
In the UK every year around 48,000 children aged 2-5 years are referred to NHS Speech & Language Therapy (SLT) services with difficulties using the right sounds in their talking. This is known as speech sound disorders (SSD). This is the largest population seen by Speech and Language Therapists and costs the NHS about £24 million per year. Children with SSD are more at risk of mental health problems and difficulties making relationships with those around them. They are also more likely to struggle with learning at school and be involved with the criminal justice system at some point in their early lives. When a baby is born parents make different choices about feeding their baby. Some breastfeed, some bottle-feed and some use a mixture of both. Some babies also like to have a dummy, while others suck their hand and some don’t suck anything. Some studies have found that breastfeeding is linked to better language and learning in later childhood, while others have found that dummy sucking has the opposite effect. However, the effect that different types of feeding have on speech development has not been looked at in as much detail.Aim:
This study will look at whether there is a relationship between how babies are fed, whether they suck a dummy/hand and how they develop speech.Design & Methods:
This study will use data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) as well as a new study (ALSPAC Generation 2) which is collecting information from the children who are now being born to the children from the original ALSPAC study. Data from SLT clinical caseloads will also be used to look at the relationship between feeding, sucking and speech disorders.REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
17/NI/0227
Date of REC Opinion
14 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion