title: Oral strength in subjects with a unilateral cleft lip and palate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Facial appearance and speech outcome may affect psychosocial functioning in girls and boys. Several studies reported dissatisfaction with facial appearance and more specifically the lip and mouth profile in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP). The purpose of this controlled study was to measure the tongue and lip strength and endurance in boys and girls with CLP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five subjects (mean age: 10.6 years) with a unilateral CLP and a gender- and age- matched control group were selected. All subjects with an unilateral CLP consulted the same craniofacial team and had undergone an identical surgical procedure. Surgical procedure of the lip was performed using a modified Millard technique without primary nose correction at an average age of 5.5 months. The Iowa Oral Performance instrument was used to measure lip and tongue strength and tongue endurance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the Iowa Oral Performance measurement showed no significant differences between the subjects with an unilateral cleft lip and palate and the age and gender matched control group without a cleft lip and palate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no significant differences regarding oral strength more specifically the lip and tongue strength and endurance between subjects with and without an unilateral cleft lip and palate. ENT specialists and speech pathologists must be aware of this aspect of the normal lip and tongue functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium. Electronic address: Kristiane.vanlierde@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Kristiane M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Van Lierde
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bettens
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plettinck
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bonte
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roche
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cleft lip and palate; Iowa Oral Performance Instrument; Lip strength; Tongue endurance; Tongue strength