Language processing in the newborn: Potential biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder

Abstract: Newborns utilize their auditory system to process and learn the various elements of language from birth. Examining the characteristics of language processing in newborns not only reveals the neurocognitive mechanisms of language function in the earliest stages of human development, but also provides valuable clues for an early warning and clinical diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. This review article summarized the perception, discrimination, and learning of phonemes in newborns, as well as the potential role in predicting autism spectrum disorder. It was found that newborns have preferences for specific languages and possess unique phoneme discrimination abilities. Furthermore, brain functional and structural indices of language processing in infancy have predictive values for autism. Future research should focus on the following three issues: 1) Controlling the rhythm factors of materials, re-examining the characteristics of newborn language processing and brain lateralization issues; 2) Revealing the neurocognitive mechanisms of newborn language learning and the role of sleep in memory consolidation; 3) Tracking the language development of high-risk newborns with autism and establishing a disease risk assessment system so as to reveal the potential biomarkers for autism.