Vocal acoustic characteristics in pre-school aged children

UNLABELLED: Evaluation is the first step for any treatment. Therefore, normal parameters are the bases for proper evaluation. AIM: Verify measures and vocal acoustic characteristics of 23 pre-school aged children of both genders, aged four to six years and eight months. METHODS: The sampling process comprised a questionnaire -that was sent to parents, auditory screening and vocal-perception auditory assessment, based on the R.A.S.A.T. scale. Acoustic analysis was carried out through the Multi Dimensional Voice Program. STUDY: Prospective and cross-sectional. RESULTS: The noise-harmonic ratio (NHR) and frequency variation (vf0) of the total sample was higher than what was found for five and six-year-olds. As age increased, NHR values decreased. As the total mean of amplitude perturbation quotient (APQ) increased, vf0, variation of amplitude (vAm) soft phonation index (SPI) and NHR also increased; the same occurred between mean total NHR and vf0. As the total means of pitch perturbation quotient (PPQ) and voice turbulence index (VTI) increased, SPI mean value decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the acoustic parameters at the age of four years seem to show an immaturity of the structures and lack of neuro-muscular control at that age and the maturation process onset happens near five and six years old.