Abstract
Background Among the cleft types, bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) generally requires multiple
surgical procedures and extended speech therapy to achieve normal speech development.
This study aimed to describe speech outcomes in 5-year-old Korean children with BCLP
and examine whether normal speech could be achieved before starting school.
Methods The retrospective study analyzed 52 children with complete BCLP who underwent primary
palatal surgery at a tertiary medical center. Three speech-language pathologists made
perceptual judgments on recordings from a speech follow-up assessment of 5-year-old
children. They assessed the children's speech in terms of articulation, speech intelligibility,
resonance, and voice using the Cleft Audit Protocol for Speech-Augmented-Korean Modification.
Results The results indicated that at the age of five, 65 to 70% of children with BCLP presented
articulation and resonance within normal or acceptable ranges. Further, seven children
with BCLP (13.5%) needed both additional speech therapy and palatal surgery for persistent
velopharyngeal insufficiency and speech problems even at the age of five.
Conclusion This study confirmed that routine follow-up speech assessments are essential as a
substantial number of children with BCLP require secondary surgical procedures and
extended speech therapy to achieve normal speech development.
Keywords
bilateral cleft lip and palate - speech outcomes - 5-year-old - perceptual ratings
- cleft audit protocol
