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Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture
Published on: September 19, 2015
Speech and language development in toddlers with and without cleft palate
G H Priester1, S M Goorhuis-Brouwer
1School of Health Care, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, PO Box 10900, 8000 GB, Zwolle, The Netherlands. Hg.priester@windesheim.nl
International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|April 4, 2008
Summary
Early palate closure surgery positively impacts speech and language development in children with cleft palate. However, hypernasality remains a significant concern, necessitating further speech therapy and surgical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial surgery
- Speech and language pathology
- Pediatric audiology
Background:
- Cleft palate significantly impacts speech and language development.
- Early surgical intervention aims to improve communicative outcomes.
- Conductive hearing loss is prevalent in children with clefts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of early palate closure on speech and language development in children with cleft palate.
- To compare speech and language outcomes between children with and without cleft palate.
- To identify persistent challenges in communicative development post-surgery.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study involving 43 toddlers with cleft palate and 32 controls.
- Standardized tests assessed language comprehension and production.
- Speech therapists evaluated articulation and hypernasality.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in language comprehension, production, or articulation between groups.
- Significant hypernasality observed in children with cleft palate (35% vs. 0%).
- Articulation issues were more common than language production problems in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Early palate closure effectively aids language development and articulation.
- Hypernasality persists in 30-50% of children with cleft palate, requiring speech therapy and pharyngoplasty.
- Current articulation standards may be too stringent; further research on developmental variations is needed.
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