The relationship of bottle feeding and other sucking behaviors with speech disorder in Patagonian preschoolers

Resident: Cho
Author(s): Barbosa C et al.
Journal: BMC Pediatrics
Year. Volume (number). Page #’s: 2009. 9:1-8.
Major topic: Speech disorders, nonnutritive sucking habits
Type of Article: Research Article

Main Purpose: Evaluate risk factors among pre-school Chilean Patagonia children focusing on past and present sucking behaviors for developing speech disorders.

Methods: Observational study on 128 children aged 37 to 70 months old attending three local public kindergartens in Punta Arenas (Patagonia), Chile, during a one year period. Information was gathered using parent questionnaires (feeding hx., demographics, social economic status), child speech evaluations (TEPROSIF test used by Chilean speech therapist – child shown drawing and examiner tells him/her standardized phrase that includes name of the drawing and child is asked to imitate the phrase) and physical examinations of the children’s mouths conducted by the pediatrician.

Results: 58 three year olds, 49 four year olds, and 21 five year olds were evaluated in this study. Children with below normal occurrence of speech phonological processes were breastfed for a shorter period of time. More than twice as many children with below normal speech used a pacifier for more than three years compared to those without speech problems.

Key points:
Sucking habits such as pacifier use, finger sucking and bottle feeding are associated with speech disorders in preschool children. Starting bottle feeding after 9 months was found to be protective of developing speech disorders. Children who suck their fingers were 3X more likely to obtain an abnormal classification on the TEPROSIF evaluation. Pacifier use was shown to negatively impact the development of speech alterations if used for more than 3 years old while less use was found not be harmful.