Articulation Function Changes in Children With Cleft Lip and Palate: A One-Year Follow-Up Study

This study evaluated alterations in articulation function in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) before treatment, after treatment, and at 1-year follow-up.

A pre-post control design with 24 subjects was used, with assessments at 3 time points: before treatment, after treatment, and at 1 year of follow-up. The mean age at treatment initiation was 6.20 years, with 6 females and 18 males. The average duration of education was 2.62 years. Standardized articulation assessments were used to measure the changes in 5 major speech indicators: Percentage Correct Consonants (PCC), Percentage Correct Places (PCP), Percentage Correct Manners (PCM), Cleft Speech Characteristics (CSC), and Phonological Simplification Processes (PSP).

Compared with pretreatment, all indicators showed significant short-term changes (P<0.05), with some effects persisting in the long-term follow-up. During follow-up. PCC, PCP, and PSP remained stable during follow-up, whereas CSC and PCM continued to improve (t=2.599, P=0.016; t=-2.86, P=0.009).

These results showed that the speech abilities learned through training were well integrated and used in daily communication. This study not only confirms the short-term efficacy of speech training but also provides strong evidence of long-lasting improvement in speech function after treatment. The findings provide important data for the establishment of personalized treatment plans, the optimization of intervention strategies, and the paving of the way for large-scale follow-up studies with extended durations.