Speech And Language Problems In Children With Metopic Cramosynostosis

There have been few studies which look at the speech and language development of children with metopic craniosynostosis, despite clinical observations suggesting that these children often present with difficulties in this area.The results of 27 children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis, who had undergone assessment at three and/or five years of age at Birmingham Children's Hospital, showed that 48% had some form of speech and/or language problem. This is considerably higher than the national incidence of speech and language difficulties in the UK which is approximately 6% (Law et al, 1998)Speech and language difficulties were more evident at five years of age than at 3 years of age, indicating a need for long term follow-up of children with metopic craniosynostosis. It also suggests that more subtle language difficulties may manifest as the child gets older.This study also highlights the need for assessment of cognitive skills in these children, so that speech and language difficulties can be considered in the context of the individual's general learning ability.There are obvious limitations to this study, which indicate areas for possible future research.