Babbling of an infant with a repaired cleft lip: a case study

The infant born with a cleft lip is faced with risk factors that threaten the development of speech-language skills. The earlier the age of identification and management of the developmental delay, the better the outcome. The attainment of the mature syllable is considered to be a critical measure of babbling competency. This single case study aimed to determine whether the formedness of the syllable in babbling would be affected by the cleft lip repaired prior to the onset of meaningful speech. Three samples of babbling in a naturalistic environment were video-recorded. Data was analysed following the principles of infraphonology, employing a perceptually-based method. A profile of infraphonological features was obtained. Results showed that the development of the mature syllable was attained. The results support the theories that babbling is a robust phenomenon. Clinical and research implications are discussed.