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The relationship between breast milk intake and speech in children with cerebral palsy
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Turkey
Insights
Longer breast milk intake in children with cerebral palsy (CP) may indicate better speech function. This suggests breast milk duration could predict oro-motor skills and speech outcomes in CP patients, highlighting the importance of speech therapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a nonprogressive neurodevelopmental disorder impacting the brain in early childhood (0-3 years).
- Children with CP frequently experience speech disorders due to impaired neuromuscular control of oro-motor coordination.
- This study investigates the link between breast milk consumption and speech abilities in children with CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between the duration of breast milk intake and speech function in children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- To assess if breast milk intake can serve as a predictor for oro-motor function and speech performance in this population.
Main Methods:
- Participants were classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and the Viking Speech Scale (VSS).
- Children were grouped into term and preterm based on gestational age.
- Spearman's correlation coefficient was employed to analyze the association between breast milk intake duration, GMFCS, and VSS scores.
Main Results:
- A moderate negative correlation was found between the duration of exclusive and total breast milk intake and VSS levels, suggesting better speech function with longer intake.
- Preterm-born children had a median VSS of 2, while term-born children had a median of 4.
- A weak positive correlation between birth weight and VSS indicated better speech in lower birth weight infants.
Conclusions:
- The duration of breast milk intake may reflect oro-motor function and predict speech performance in children with cerebral palsy.
- This highlights the potential role of breast milk intake as a prognostic indicator for speech development in CP.
- Speech and language therapy are emphasized as crucial components of rehabilitation, alongside motor interventions.
Background/Aim:
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a nonprogressive neurodevelopmental disorder that cause damage to the developing brain (0–3 years) for various reasons. Children with CP commonly have speech disorders due to impairment in neuromuscular control of oro-motor coordination. We focused on the relationship between breast milk intake and speech functions in children with CP.
Materials And Methods:
The gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) was used to categorize the gross motor function. The viking speech scale (VSS) was used to classify the speech in children with cerebral palsy. Children were subdivided into two groups as term and preterm based on gestational age. The duration of exclusive breast milk intake was defined as the period when the infant received breast milk alone. We used Spearman’s correlation coefficient to evaluate the relationship between the duration of breast milk intake, GMFCS, and VSS.
Results:
The median level of viking speech scale was 2 in preterm-born children and 4 in term-born children. There was no correlation between age and VSS levels.We observed a statistically significant difference in terms of preterm- or term-born status among children with different VSS levels. There was a weak positive correlation between birth weight and VSS level, indicating better speech function in children with lower birth weight. There was a moderate negative correlation between the duration of exclusive breast milk intake, the total duration of breast milk intake, and the corrected age of weaning completion with VSS level.
Conclusion:
The duration of breast milk intake may reflect the oromotor function and predict speech performance in children with cerebral palsy. We wanted to emphasize that speech language therapy is as important as motor rehabilitation.
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