Early language intervention for children with cleft lip and/or palate: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: The effectiveness of early language intervention for children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) was evaluated. Methodology: A systematic literature review of journal publications going back to the year 1970 was conducted in accordance with international criteria of evidence-based practice. During in-depth database research carried out in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and publishing house (Hogrefe, Karger, Kluwer, Springer, Thieme) databases, studies were targeted, which evaluated the effectiveness of early language intervention for children with CLP ranging from 1;6 to 4;11 years old. Search terms related to cleft lip and palate, early intervention, and language intervention were used in various combinations. The individual studies were evaluated using Cochrane criteria, and the findings were qualitatively analyzed. Results: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Three of them dealt with therapy effectiveness with parents’ participation during the intervention process, while two of the studies investigated the effectiveness of a conventional therapy setting. All of the included studies identified an improvement in the linguistic abilities of children with CLP, although these children's abilities continued to lag behind those of a standard population used as a control group. The participation of parents during the therapy led to an increase in the children's communicative abilities, which likewise had a positive impact on the linguistic abilities of the children with CLP. Discussion: Limited empirical support for the effectiveness of early language intervention for children with CLP was found. Also, the methodological quality of the publications included in the study was very heterogeneous and, overall, not entirely convincing. Additional high-quality research utilizing transparent study designs is needed in order to collect more definitive evidence.

Source of funding: No source of funding reported.

Keywords:

• Cleft palate
• Early language intervention
• Speech therapy

Acknowledgments

Declaration of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest and are solely responsible for the content of this article.