Luyten A., Bettens K., D'haeseleer E., De Ley S., Hodges A., Galiwango G., Vermeersch H., Van Lierde K.
Departments of Speech,Language and Hearing Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1 BE-9000 Gent, Belgium; Dept. of Head and Neck Surgery, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services, Kisubi, Uganda
Luyten, A., Departments of Speech,Language and Hearing Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1 BE-9000 Gent, Belgium; Bettens, K., Departments of Speech,Language and Hearing Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1 BE-9000 Gent, Belgium; D'haeseleer, E., Departments of Speech,Language and Hearing Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1 BE-9000 Gent, Belgium; De Ley, S., Departments of Speech,Language and Hearing Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1 BE-9000 Gent, Belgium; Hodges, A., Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services, Kisubi, Uganda; Galiwango, G., Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services, Kisubi, Uganda; Vermeersch, H., Dept. of Head and Neck Surgery, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Van Lierde, K., Departments of Speech,Language and Hearing Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1 BE-9000 Gent, Belgium
Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe articulation and resonance characteristics of Ugandan English-speaking children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) after synchronous lip and palatal closure (Sommerlad technique) prior to the age of 6 months in comparison with an age- And gender-matched control group.Methods: Eleven Ugandan patients with CLP (mean age 4; 9 years), repaired during a synchronous lip and (soft and hard) palatal closure at a mean age of 3.4 months, were included as well as a control group (n = 22) consisting of 2 Ugandan age- And gender-matched noncleft children for each patient (mean age 4; 10 years). Objective and perceptual speech assessment techniques were applied.Results: Consonant inventories were significantly smaller in the CLP group. Moreover, phonetic disorders and phonological processes occurred in 91 and 100% of the CLP group, respectively. Perceptual consensus evaluation revealed absence of hyponasality and cul-de-sac resonance in all patients. Hypernasality and nasal emission/turbulence occurred in 18 and 27% of the patients, respectively. No significant group differences were observed regarding the mean nasalance values of oral speech samples.Conclusion: Various deviations from normal speech development seem to occur in patients with CLP following synchronous lip and palatal closure before 6 months of age. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Articulation Disorders; child; cleft lip; cleft palate; complication; female; human; infant; male; phonetics; Postoperative Complications; preschool child; speech intelligibility; voice; Articulation Disorders; Child; Child, Preschool; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Phonetics; Postoperative Complications; Speech Intelligibility; Voice Quality