Vowel Productions in Malayalam Speaking Toddlers with Repaired Cleft Palate and /or Lip

Introduction: Cleft palate and /or lip is a congenital orofacial anomaly affecting speech production skills. The current study investigates vowel production in toddlers with repaired cleft palate and /or lip (RCP±L). The number and type of vowels in terms of tongue height and tongue advancement were computed from the speech sample extracted. In toddlers with RCP±L, the frequency of nasalized vowels was computed. Method: A 30-minute mother-child interaction video was used for the extraction of speech samples for investigating vowel productions. Vowel productions of five 30–36-month-old toddlers with typical development (TD) were compared with the vowel productions of five 30–36-month-old toddlers with RCP±L. Results: Toddlers with RCP±L were found to have significantly lesser productions of close-mid, high (close), front, and back vowels in comparison to toddlers with TD. Toddlers with RCP±L were also found to exhibit nasalization of vowels. Conclusion: Quantity and quality of vowel productions are affected in toddlers with RCP±L, ascertaining the need for early intervention.