Impact of tongue reduction on overall speech intelligibility, articulation and oromyofunctional behavior in 4 children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of partial glossectomy (using the keyhole technique) on speech intelligibility, articulation, resonance and oromyofunctional behavior.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A partial glossectomy was performed in 4 children with Beckwith- Wiedemann syndrome between the ages of 0.5 and 3.1 years. An ENT assessment, a phonetic inventory, a phonemic and phonological analysis and a consensus perceptual evaluation of speech intelligibility, resonance and oromyofunctional behavior were performed.

RESULTS: It was not possible in this study to separate the effects of the surgery from the typical developmental progress of speech sound mastery. Improved speech intelligibility, a more complete phonetic inventory, an increase in phonological skills, normal resonance and increased motor-oriented oral behavior were found in the postsurgical condition. The presence of phonetic distortions, lip incompetence and interdental tongue position were still present in the postsurgical condition.

CONCLUSION: Speech therapy should be focused on correct phonetic placement and a motor-oriented approach to increase lip competence, and on functional tongue exercises and tongue lifting during the production of alveolars. Detailed analyses in a larger number of subjects with and without Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome may help further illustrate the long-term impact of partial glossectomy.