Language in Preterm Born Children: Atypical Development and Effects of Early Interventions on Neuroplasticity.

Predicting language performances after preterm birth is challenging. It is described in the literature that early exposure to the extrauterine environment can be either detrimental or advantageous for neurodevelopment. However, the emphasis mostly lies on the fact that preterm birth may have an unfavorable effect on numerous aspects of development such as cognition, language, and behavior. Various studies reported atypical language development in preterm born children in the preschool years but also in school-aged children and adolescents. This review gives an overview of the course of language development and examines how prematurity can lead to atypical linguistic performances. In this paper, we mainly focus on environmental and neurophysiological factors influencing preterm infant neuroplasticity with potential short- and long-term effects on language development. Further research, however, should focus on examining the possible benefits that early exposure might entail.

Intensive speech therapy in Ugandan patients with cleft (lip and) palate: a pilot-study assessing long-term effectiveness.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In resource-limited countries, traditional models for speech therapy delivery are not adequate to reach all patients in need. In those countries, intensive speech therapy might be a solution. Preliminary results of previous research demonstrated that intensive speech therapy can be effective in the short term for patients living in countries with limited access to speech therapy. Questions might arise whether or not intensive treatment results in long-term benefits for these patients. Hence, the present study investigated long-term effectiveness of intensive speech therapy provided to Ugandan patients born with a cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP ±â€¯L) in terms of different speech characteristics. METHODS: Five Ugandan patients with CP ±â€¯L, who received intensive speech therapy in the past, were contacted to participate in this follow-up study. All patients agreed to participate. Perceptual and instrumental speech evaluations were performed identically to the assessments immediately before and after speech therapy, to allow for comparison. Additionally, the Cleft Evaluation Profile, investigating self-perceived satisfaction with cleft-related features was included to compare satisfaction before and after speech therapy. RESULTS: Long-term improvement in percentage correct consonants was seen in four patients. Furthermore, after speech therapy, decreased presence of resonance disorders was observed in two of the included patients. Before speech therapy, all participants were dissatisfied with speech. Interestingly, after intensive speech therapy, satisfaction with speech was seen in every patient and this satisfaction remained in the long term. CONCLUSION: In summary, speech improvements after speech therapy varied among the five patients. Nevertheless, present study provided encouraging results to further investigate effectiveness of intensive speech therapy in patients with CP ±â€¯L.