Phonological productive processes in full-term schoolchildren and small for gestational age: a case-control study
Noemi Vieira de Freitas Rios1,2, Luciene da Cruz Fernandes3, Caio Leônidas Oliveira de Andrade1
1Curso de Fonoaudiologia, Departamento Ciências da Vida, Universidade Estadual da Bahia - UNEB - Salvador (BA), Brasil.
Insights
Children small for gestational age (SGA) use more phonological processes affecting syllable structure than those appropriate for gestational age (AGA). This study highlights differences in speech sound development between these groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Linguistics
Background:
- Phonological processes are common in early speech development.
- Understanding variations in these processes is crucial for identifying potential developmental delays.
- Small for gestational age (SGA) infants may face unique developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare phonological productive processes in children small for gestational age (SGA) versus those appropriate for gestational age (AGA).
- To characterize the specific phonological processes utilized by each group.
Main Methods:
- An observational, analytical, case-control study.
- 36 children were assessed: 24 SGA and 12 AGA.
- The ABFW Children's Language Test (2004) was used to evaluate phonological aspects of oral language.
Main Results:
- The SGA group exhibited a significantly higher frequency of phonological processes altering syllable structure compared to the AGA group.
- Specific unexpected phonological processes in the SGA group included fricative plosivation and liquid simplification.
- Simplifying consonant clusters and final consonants were frequent in both groups.
Conclusions:
- No direct association was found between phonological disorders and SGA status.
- However, children small for gestational age demonstrated increased use of productive phonological processes.
Purpose:
To characterize the use of phonological productive processes in a group of full-term children and small for gestational age and compare it with children appropriate for gestational age.
Methods:
Observational, analytical, case-control and non-paired study, nested in a cohort with the outcome of phonological disorder. We assessed 36 children according to the predetermined sample calculation, 24 (66.7%) without phonological disorders and 12 (33.3%) with phonological disorders. Of these, 24 (66.7%) children were classified as small for gestational age (SGA) and 12 (33%) as appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Phonological aspects of oral language were assessed by the ABFW children's language test (2004). The results were subjected to descriptive analysis and, in order to assess the existence of an association among categorical variables, we used Fisher's exact test for association.
Results:
The SGA group revealed a significantly higher number of phonological processes that change the syllable structure when compared to the AGA group. We noted that the phonological processes present and unexpected for age in the SGA population were: fricative plosivation, liquid simplification, palatal posteriorization and frontalization, plosive and fricative deafening, in addition to simplifying the consonant cluster and simplifying the final consonant, which were the most frequent in both groups.
Conclusion:
Although no association was found between phonological disorders and SGA children, we have noted a greater use of productive phonological processes in this group.
