Epidemiology of communication disorders in childhood phoniatric clinical practice
Marta Gonçalves Gimenez Baptista1, Beatriz Cavalcanti Albuquerque Caiuby Novaes2, Mariana Lopes Favero2
1Program of Graduate Studies in Phonoaudiology, Pontifícia Universidade de São Paulo (PUC-SP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Clínica Interdisciplinar Prof. Dr. Mauro Spinelli, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Insights
This study analyzed 297 children in phoniatric practice, finding speech and language impairments most common in boys. Speech therapy was the primary treatment for these pediatric speech disorders.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric medicine
- Speech-language pathology
- Developmental pediatrics
Background:
- Effective language acquisition necessitates understanding physical and psychosocial factors.
- Collaboration between phoniatric physicians and healthcare professionals is crucial for positive outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the clinical and epidemiological profile of pediatric patients in a phoniatric clinic.
- To analyze referral patterns, diagnoses, and treatment approaches in children with communication disorders.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, cross-sectional cohort study.
- Analysis of 297 pediatric patients' records from phoniatric appointments (1976-2005).
- Examined referral origin, demographics, diagnoses, and interventions.
Main Results:
- Predominantly male population (66%) with a mean age of 6.4 years.
- Speech therapists referred most patients (38%); speech alterations were the main complaint (35%).
- Impairments in speech, language, and fluency affected 49.5%; speech therapy was the most frequent treatment (28.2%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric phoniatric populations are often male-dominated.
- Speech, language, and fluency impairments are significant diagnoses in this demographic.
- Speech therapy is the leading intervention for children in phoniatric care.
Introduction:
Language acquisition and development require an understanding of physical and psychosocial aspects during diagnosis and treatment. At this point, a partnership between phoniatric physicians and other health professionals is often a determinant for favorable prognosis.
Objective:
To identify the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of a pediatric population attending a phoniatric clinical practice.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional cohort. Retrospective, epidemiological study of 297 children, seen in phoniatric appointments between 1976 and 2005. Outcome variables were referral origin, gender, age, mean age, diagnosis, and treatment approach.
Results:
66% were male and 34% were female, with a mean age of 6.4 years. The largest number of referrals for phoniatric treatments came from speech therapists (38%). The predominant complaint was alteration in speech (35%); the diagnostics in speech, language, and fluency (49.5%) are noteworthy. Considering the total of the patients analyzed, 28.2% were referred for speech therapy and 11.8% for psychotherapy.
Conclusion:
The studied population is predominantly male, the diagnosis points to a higher incidence in cases of impairment in speech, language, and fluency; the most common treatment was speech therapy.
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