Relationship Between Speech and Quality of Life Related to Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Chilean Children Treated for Cleft Lip and Palate.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationship between speech and quality of life related to velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) in Chilean children treated for cleft lip and palate (CLP).

METHODS

Twenty-five children (mean age: 8.8±1.7 y) with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP), and no history of secondary speech surgery, were evaluated at the Speech-Language Pathology Clinic of CDT Hospital Hernán Henríquez Aravena, Temuco, Chile. Assessments included perceptual auditory evaluation, nasometry, the Spanish Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS‑Sp), and the VELO‑Spanish Questionnaire to measure speech intelligibility and health‑related quality of life (HRQoL). Main outcomes were nasalance, hypernasality, nasal air emission, hyponasality, compensatory articulation disorder, and VELO‑Spanish scores across domains of speech limitation, situational difficulty, perception by others, emotional impact, and caregiver burden.

RESULTS

Hypernasality and nasal air emission had a significant impact on quality of life, especially in speech limitations, situational difficulty, and social perception. Higher nasalance scores were linked to poorer quality of life, and lower speech intelligibility was correlated with worse outcomes across multiple domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Speech intelligibility and velopharyngeal function should be prioritized in the rehabilitation of children with CLP to improve HRQoL. While conducted in a Spanish-speaking population, the study's findings support internationally relevant clinical principles. Further research is needed to explore the effects of surgical technique and timing on speech outcomes.