Socioeconomic Deprivation Detrimentally Influences Language Outcomes in Toddlers With Cleft Palate

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of socioeconomic deprivation on language and developmental outcomes in toddlers with cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP ± L). Other factors known to influence language outcomes were also considered, including home language history, history of hearing problems, syndromic diagnoses, and sex. Method: A multicenter, cross-sectional study design was conducted. Data for 566 16-month-old toddlers with CP ± L were collected from 17 outpatient cleft palate clinics located throughout the United States. Outcome measures included the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories, LENA Developmental Snapshot, age at first word as reported by the caregiver, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires–Third Edition (ASQ-3). Multivariable linear or logistic regression was used to determine the influence of socioeconomic deprivation, as measured by the Area Deprivation Index, on language and developmental outcomes. Results: Greater socioeconomic deprivation significantly predicted poorer language outcomes in toddlers with CP ± L, including receptive vocabulary words ( p = .02), expressive vocabulary words ( p = .02), and late-developing gestures ( p = .02). Additionally, toddlers from less affluent neighborhoods produced their first words significantly later than their counterparts living in more affluent areas ( p < .01). Lower maternal education levels predicted significantly increased risk for problem solving delays ( p < .01), and patients with subsidized insurance were at significantly increased risk for personal–social delays on the ASQ-3 ( p < .01). Conclusions: Children with CP ± L are susceptible to developmental delays associated with socioeconomic deprivation. These findings have implications for identifying a child's individual risk factors for developmental language disorders when conducting speech-language assessments. Future study should examine how inequities in care can be mitigated and addressed.