SPEECH OUTCOME AND MAXILLARY GROWTH IN PATIENTS WITH UNILATERAL COMPLETE CLEFT LIP PALATE OPERATED ON AT 6 VERSUS 12 MONTHS OF AGE/

A prospective study of speech outcome and maxillofacial growth was car ried out in cleft palate patients. Seventy-six cleft palate patients w ere randomly selected for the study group; 41 patients were operated o n at 12 months of age, and 35 patients were operated on at 6 months of age. All patients were followed until they were 4 years of age. All p atients underwent a complete speech evaluation, videonasopharyngoscopy , videofluoroscopy, and maxillofacial assessment. The rate of velophar yngeal insufficiency did not differ between the two groups (17 to 19 p ercent; p > 0.05). However, phonologic development was significantly b etter (p < 0.05) in the patients operated on at 6 months of age. Furth ermore, none of the patients operated on at 6 months of age showed com pensatory articulation disorder. In contrast, 62 percent of the patien ts with postoperative velopharyngeal insufficiency operated on at 12 m onths of age showed compensatory articulation disorder (p < 0.05). Max illofacial assessment showed that there were nonsignificant difference s (p > 0.05) in maxillofacial growth in both groups of patients. All p atients showed similar degrees of maxillary collapse (p > 0.05). The r esults of this study suggest that cleft palate repair performed at 6 m onths of age significantly enhances speech outcome and prevents compen satory articulation disorder.