The Causal Effect of Parent–Child Interactions on Child Language Development at 3 and 4 Years

What is already known on the subject Promoting parent-child interactions within the home environment has been previously suggested as one mechanism to support children's early language development. Nonetheless, there is a lack of causal evidence and long-term follow-up to support this claim. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge The effect of parent-child interactions throughout the early years on children's language development is explored using causal inference methodology within an Australian prospective birth cohort study. Findings show a small causal effect of increasing parent-child interactions on children's language development at 36 and 48 months, after controlling for time-varying exposures and confounders. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This highlights the value of sustained, universal early intervention, which encourages back-and-forth parent-child interactions, as early as possible. Practitioners who work with parents and carers in the first year of a child's life should promote the importance of talking and interacting with their child to improve later language outcomes.