Speech Evaluation Based on the Type of Cleft Palate

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Authors evaluated results of palatoplasty by speech analysis in bilateral, unilateral complete, and unilateral incomplete and submucous cleft palate patients. METHODS: The speech outcomes were studied in 15 bilateral, 28 unilateral complete, and 46 unilateral incomplete and submucous cleft palate patients who underwent push-back palatoplasties from January 1998 to July 2004. The patients were divided into 2 groups as 3 to 6, 7 to 10-year-old and compared with 20 normal children(control groups were divided into 10 children on each side). Nasal emission test, hypernasality test, and articulation test were done by speech evaluation table which was composed of 39 different words. RESULTS: In all speech evaluation tests, the group of bilateral cleft palate patients got the worst score. And 7 to 10-year-old groups got better score when compared to the same type cleft palate. CONCLUSION: Bilateral cleft palate patients have many more speech problems than other patients. In cleft palate patients, the speech problem was improved with ages, postoperatively. And the speech therapy can improve the operative outcomes.