An intelligibility assessment of toddlers with cleft lip and palate who received and did not receive presurgical infant orthopedic treatment

A randomized, prospective, clinical study was performed investigating the effects of presurgical infant orthopedic treatment (PIO) in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). The influence of PIO on speech intelligibility was evaluated with two groups, each consisting of 10 children with UCLP. One group used PIO during the first year of life, whereas the other group did not use the device. Eight children without cleft served as a second control group. Intelligibility was assessed by lay listeners using two methods: transcription and listener rating. The ratings proved to be reliable and to have sufficient validity, but they did not completely reflect intelligibility defined as the proportion of words understood by the listener. Children in the treatment group were rated as exhibiting greater intelligibility than those in the nontreatment group. However, data obtained by means of transcriptions indicated that, in fact, there were no group differences in actual intelligibility. Only in comparison with their noncleft peers were the children with cleft lip and palate significantly less well understood. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc.