Comparison of speech quality in 6-year-old cleft palate patients with and without simultaneous adenoidectomy and primary palatal repair

Abstract

This study aims at comparing the quality of speech in 6-year-old cleft palate children with and without adenoidectomy performed simultaneously with primary palatal repair. The total material comprised 105 children. Adenoidectomy was done simultaneously with primary palatal repair at the age of 12 to 18 months to 32 children (Group A), and not done to 73 children (Group B), but of these children 14 had undergone adenoidectomy later. Groups A and B did not differ remarkably. Groups differed significantly from each other only with respect to the occurrence of audible nasal air emissions. and the mean nasalance scores for two of the test sentences. The groups did not differ significantly from each other concerning the number of secondary velopharyngeal flaps required to eliminate persisting signs of velopharyngeal insufficiency after primary palatal repair. It was concluded that adenoidectomy done simultaneously with primary palatal repair at the age of one year has some effect on the quality of speech, but not so much that adenoidectomy should be avoided if felt important for the healthiness of the ears.

Key Words:

• cleft palate speech
• adenoidectomy.