Predictors of early precocious talking: A prospective population study

Abstract

This study examines potential predictors of precocious talking (expressive language ≥ 90th percentile) at one and two years of age, and of stability in precocious talking across both time periods, drawing on data from a prospective community cohort comprising over 1,800 children. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between precocious talking and the following potential predictors: gender, birth order, birth weight, non-English speaking background, socioeconomic status, maternal age, maternal mental health scores, and vocabulary and educational attainment of parents. The strongest predictors of precocity (being female and having a younger mother) warrant further explorati..