An investigation of swallowing performance and family impact in children with delayed language and speech

Language development is frequently linked to motor abilities, particularly the coordination of the mouth and facial muscles. Speech and swallowing necessitate analogous neuromuscular coordination skills therefore, children experiencing speech delays may exhibit delays in the development of these skills, which can result in feeding and swallowing difficulties.A paucity of research exists in the literature regarding the relationship between these problems and their impact on families. The objective of this study is to examine the association between delayed speech and feeding-swallowing performance in children with speech and language delay (SLD) and the family impact related to swallowing disorders. The present study was conducted with a sample of 40 children aged 3-5 years who had been diagnosed with delayed speech and language (average age 4.37±0.7), as well as 20 healthy control participants (average age 3.60±0.5), along with their parents. The RAM report was utilized as the primary diagnostic instrument for identifying delayed speech. To assess swallowing disorders in participants, the following scales were used: The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI EAT-10), the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), the Oral Speech Mechanism Screening Examination-3 (OSMSE-3), the DSFS, and the Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KÇPS). The Family Impact Module (PedsQL) and the Feeding Swallowing Impact Survey (FS-IS) were utilized to ascertain the impact of delayed speech and language disorders on feeding-swallowing performance and the family. The findings of the present study revealed statistically significant disparities between the SLD (Speech and Language Disorder) group and the control group with respect to the FOAS, PEDI-EAT-10, KÇPS, and OSMSE-3 scales (p=0.048, p=0.011, p=0.001, p=0.001). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups on the DSFS scale (p=0.147). However, when examining the family impact, statistically significant differences were identified between the groups in the PedsQL and FS-IS surveys (p=0.001, p=0.044). Additionally, within the SLD group, a statistically significant relationship was identified between PedsQL and PEDI-EAT-10, OSMSE-3, and KÇPS (r=0.362; p=0.005, r=-0.493; p=0.001, r=0.415; p=0.001). However, no such relationship was identified between SLD and FS-IS. A study was conducted to ascertain whether children with SLD exhibited diminished swallowing performance in comparison to their healthy counterparts. The investigation further sought to elucidate the potential correlation between these observations and the levels of anxiety exhibited by the parents. However, no significant disparities were observed in terms of feeding disorders and their impact on families.