The aim of this longitudinal study was to obtain information on the early lexical development and its predictive value to language skills in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) children. The MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory was used to collect data of the early receptive and expressive lexicon of the 32 VLBW children. This information was compared to the data of 35 full-term controls. The children’s language skills were tested using Reynell Developmental Language Scales at 2 years. The growth of the receptive lexicon was slower, and the language skills poorer in VLBW children. The early receptive lexicon growth was strongly associated with the performance in Reynell’s test in VLBW children. The
findings indicate that the small receptive lexicon size is an early predictor of delayed language development in VLBW children. The results also emphasise the need to assess the language development of the VLBW children in detail at an early age.