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Published on: September 19, 2015
Hoarseness in children with cleft palate
Katherine K Hamming1, Marsha Finkelstein, James D Sidman
1Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis location, Minneapolis, MN, USA. koep0072@umn.edu
Summary
In children with cleft palate (CP), this study found no link between velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) and hoarseness. Hoarseness rates in children with CP were similar to the general population, challenging previous theories.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Craniofacial Anomalies
Background:
- Children with cleft palate (CP) often experience voice disturbances.
- Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is a common complication in CP, potentially leading to compensatory speech mechanisms and hoarseness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of hoarseness in children with CP.
- To investigate the association between VPI and hoarseness in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 185 patients with CP.
- Data collected from patients born between 1991 and 2001.
- Analysis of hoarseness rates and VPI presence across different age groups.
Main Results:
- The overall rate of hoarseness was 20.0% at ages 3-4 and 18.4% at ages 6-7.
- No significant correlation was found between the presence of VPI and hoarseness or dysphonia.
- VPI significantly decreased with age (58.4% to 30.2%), while hoarseness rates remained stable (20.8% to 19.5%).
Conclusions:
- Contrary to common assumptions, VPI was not associated with hoarseness in children with CP.
- Hoarseness rates in children with CP fall within the expected range for the general child population.
- The proposed mechanism of VPI causing hoarseness through compensatory speech may not be accurate for this patient group.
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