The Relationship between the Type of Cleft and Nasal Air Emission in Speech of Children with Cleft Palate or Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cleft palate, due to damage of the soft palate, leads to dysfunction, i.e., inappropriate closure of the velopharynx during speech production, thus resulting in velopharyngeal insufficiency which characterises with hypernasal speech and nasal air loss/emission during speech production.
 AIM: To establish the relationship between the type of cleft according to the Veau classification and the degree of nasal air emission in the speech of patients with cleft using auditory-visual perceptual assessment procedures.
 MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 40 patients with irregular speech aged 4 to 7, out of which 20 with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate, participated in the research. The Veau classification was used to classify the cleft severity, while an indirect instrumental examination was conducted with the See-Scape instrument to detect nasal air emission during the speech.
 RESULTS: The respondents with cleft palate or cleft lip and palate of higher Veau class had a greater degree of nasal air emission during the speech. There is a positive, statistically significant correlation between the results obtained with the Veau classification of cleft lip and palate, and the degree of nasal air emission. The value of Spearman’s coefficient of correlation is R = 0.46, and the calculated p-value is p = 0.04.
 CONCLUSION: A more severe cleft type is associated with an increased degree of nasal air emission during the speech, and vice versa.

Furlow Versus Straight Line Repair With Intravelar Veloplasty: A 7-Year Single Institution Experience with Fistula Formation

“…4,6,7,9,11,19,20 Although the details of this association remain unclear, it has been suggested that more extensive clefts are more difficult to repair because they involve a larger area of the palate, making complications more likely. 1,20 Taken with our finding of no substantial difference in fistula formation between palatoplasty procedures, these data reinforce the concept that other factors, such as Veau cleft type, primarily influence the likelihood of fistula development after primary palatoplasty. Adoption status was one of the demographic variables in our study that had a considerable effect on fistula formation.…”

“…Cleft palates occur secondary to incomplete closure of the velopharyngeal sphincter and impair many oral functions, including verbal communication and feeding. 1,2 The goal of primary palatoplasty is anatomical reconstruction of the palate to allow for normal speech and craniofacial development and function. 1,3,4 Various primary palatoplasty techniques exist, and there is little consensus over which operative method is superior.…”

“…1,2 The goal of primary palatoplasty is anatomical reconstruction of the palate to allow for normal speech and craniofacial development and function. 1,3,4 Various primary palatoplasty techniques exist, and there is little consensus over which operative method is superior. The 2 most commonly performed palatoplasty techniques at our institution are the Furlow method and the straight line method with intravelar veloplasty (IVVP).…”

“…1,2 The goal of primary palatoplasty is anatomical reconstruction of the palate to allow for normal speech and craniofacial development and function. 1,3,4…”

Orofacial Cleft and Mandibular Prognathism—Human Genetics and Animal Models

“…These anomalies pose challenges for not only the patient and the family but also the therapeutic team due to the improper functioning of the craniofacial apparatus, which affects each element of the stomatognathic system. Specifically, a lack of developmental connection between the tissues of the lip, alveolar process, and potential oronasal fistula may affect such activities as sucking, swallowing, the expression of emotions, the formation of thoughts, and efficient communication [40][41][42]. Moreover, the impaired formation of negative intraoral pressure during sucking and swallowing in this disorder results in the impaired nutrition of the newborn and an unsatisfactory pace of weight gain [41].…”