title: Maxillary arch dimensions and spectral characteristics of children with cleft lip and palate who produce middorsum palatal stops.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to determine maxillary arch dimensions of children with repaired cleft lip and palate (CLP) who produced middorsum palatal stops and (b) to describe some spectral characteristics of middorsum palatal stops.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maxillary arch width, length, and height dimensions and first spectral moments of /t/-/k/ contrast words were determined for three groups of children ages 7-11 years: (a) with CLP who were clinically judged to produce middorsum palatal stops (  n = 5), (b) with CLP but without middorsum palatal stops (  n = 6), and (c) typically developing controls (  n = 8). Validity of clinical judgments of middorsum palatal stops was assessed by adult listeners via forced-choice identification of /t/-/k/ contrast words.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Listeners confirmed production of middorsum palatal stops for 4 of 5 children with CLP. These children had (a) the narrowest anterior maxillary arch width relative to posterior arch width (  p = .011) and (b) the lowest first spectral moment for /t/ targets (  p = .001) and the lowest /t/-/k/ difference (  p = .010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Middorsum palatal stops may occur in children with repaired CLP in response to limited anterior oral cavity space due to restricted (or collapsed) maxillary arches. First spectral moment characteristics of middorsum palatal stops are consistent with backed lingual placement during stop release.
authors: Craniofacial Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA. david_zajac@dentistry.unc.edu
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Zajac
authors: Lucia
authors: L
authors: Cevidanes
authors: Sonam
authors: S
authors: Shah
authors: Katarina L
authors: KL
authors: Haley
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009055:Mouth / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D010700:Phonetics; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013062:Speech Articulation Tests; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013068:Speech Production Measurement