Otologic affectations and language disorders in children operated on for cleft palate and palate

Abstract

Introduction: cleft palate predisposes to ear infections, hearing loss, speech and oral communication.

Objective: to characterize the otologic affectations and speech disorders in children operated on for cleft palate.

Methods: observational, descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study in 31 patients operated for alveolo-palatine clefts in the Maxillofacial Surgery Service at Pepe Portilla Provincial Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Pinar del Rio, between 2014 and 2020. A non-probabilistic intentional sampling was carried out, comprising a sample of 20 patients. Evaluation by Otolaryngology and Speech Therapy was carried out, as well as the review of clinical histories. Descriptive statistics was applied.

 Results: patients who presented incomplete fissures reached 55 % and 50 % of them received mixed feeding. The analysis of the quality of the surgical-orthodontic intervention assessed 75 % as good quality. Sixty percent of the patients presented ear infections, being of a very frequent type in 20 % of the cases; 35 % presented some degree of affectation of the auditory sphere and 80 % presented language disorders, the latter being mild in 40 %; and 55 % of the patients presented phonetic-auditory affectations, where 50 % of the cases presented good level of school learning and social-emotional adaptation.

Conclusions: patients who underwent surgery for alveolo-palatal fissures presented mostly mild language and auditory alterations, with very frequent ear infections and phonetic-auditory affectation that influenced on their school-learning and social-emotional adjustment.