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Longitudinal speech performance in patients with cleft palate: comparisons based on secondary management
The Cleft Palate Journal
|October 1, 1986
Summary
Children with cleft palate who had early surgery showed better speech outcomes by age 16. Early intervention is crucial for improving speech performance in pediatric patients with cleft palate.
Area of Science:
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Craniofacial Anomalies
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Cleft palate significantly impacts speech development.
- Longitudinal data on speech performance based on early management is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze speech performance in individuals with cleft palate from childhood to adolescence.
- To compare outcomes based on early surgical intervention and initial speech assessment.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of three groups of cleft palate speakers (ages 4-16).
- Groups categorized by Iowa Pressure Articulation Test (IPAT) scores and secondary surgery timing.
- Speech performance assessed at two-year intervals.
Main Results:
- Group A (early surgery) demonstrated superior speech performance at age 16.
- Group B (no early management) showed a speech decline around age 12, potentially linked to puberty.
- Group C (no early surgery, good initial scores) did not exhibit this decline.
Conclusions:
- Early secondary surgery positively influences long-term speech outcomes in cleft palate patients.
- Pubertal changes may negatively affect speech in some cleft palate individuals without early intervention.
- Careful consideration of secondary management is needed for patients with initial poor speech performance.