title: [Relationship between the oral language development and restoration of velopharyngeal closure function in Chinese toddlers with repaired cleft palate].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate how the oral language development enhances articulators to function well in cleft palate movement and velopharyngeal closure in the young Chinese children with repaired cleft palate.
  
  
  METHODS
  The recordings of 78 cases of Chinese toddlers with repaired cleft palate were reviewed. This group of children aged from 27 months to 33 months (average: 30 months). Transcription using Pinyin system was made. Mean utterance count (MUC) and mean special consonant correct count (MSCC) were calculated. Correlation between MUC and MSCC was statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlation coefficient of MUC and MSCC is 0.360 (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is positive correlation between the oral language development and restoration of velopharyngeal closure function. Children with repaired cleft palate should be encouraged to start oral language as early as possible and as much as possible in order to get the restoration of velopharyngeal closure function.
authors.affiliation: Cleft Lip and Palate Center, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Xiu-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiao-jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D010614:Pharynx; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*