Association between velopharyngeal function and dental-consonant misarticulations in children with cleft lip/palate

• Published in: British journal of plastic surgery 2001-06, Vol.54 (4), p.290-293
• Main Authors: Pulkkinen, J., Haapanen, M.-L., Laitinen, J., Paaso, M., Ranta, R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Factors; Articulation Disorders - complications; Articulation Disorders - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child, Preschool; Cleft Lip - complications; Cleft Lip - surgery; Cleft Palate - complications; Cleft Palate - surgery; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Head and neck surgery. Maxillofacial surgery. Dental surgery. Orthodontics; Humans; Infant; Male; Maxillofacial surgery. Dental surgery. Orthodontics; Medical sciences; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Speech Therapy - methods; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; velopharyngeal function, misarticulation, cleft palate, pharyngoplasty; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency - complications; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency - surgery
• ISSN: 0007-1226; 1465-3087
• DOI: 10.1054/bjps.2001.3571

We studied the association between velopharyngeal function and misarticulation of the dental consonants /r/, /s/ and /l/ in children with cleft lip/palate. We assessed 278 6-year-old Finnish-speaking non-syndromic children (115 girls, 163 boys) with isolated cleft palate (n= 81), cleft lip/alveolus (n= 82) or unilateral (n= 84) or bilateral (n= 31) cleft lip and palate. Auditory analysis of speech and velopharyngeal function, the presence of fistulae, previous velopharyngoplasty and speech therapy, as well as surgical technique and timing of primary palatal surgery were obtained from the hospital records. The misarticulations of the sounds /r/, /s/ and /l/ were evaluated in spontaneous speech by two experienced speech pathologists from the cleft team. Velopharyngeal function was categorised, on the basis of the effect on speech, into competent, marginal incompetent and obvious incompetent. Nasal grimace and distortions due to palatal fistulae were registered. The results indicated that velopharyngeal function was not significantly associated with misarticulation of any of the sounds /r/, /s/ and /l/ or their combinations in any cleft groups. The technique and timing of primary palatal surgery, the presence of fistulae and previous pharyngoplasty were not associated with misarticulations. On the basis of these results we conclude that dental-consonant misarticulations occur independently of velopharyngeal function, primary palatal surgical technique and timing of palatoplasty.