Cleft ECLiPS study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing the listening skills of children with cleft lip and/or palate using the Evaluation of Children’s Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPS) questionnaire.
IRAS ID
286079
Contact name
Stephanie van Eeden
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
249602, IRAS ID of main study
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
Research summary- Over 1000 babies are born every year in the UK with a gap in their lip, palate or both; this is called a cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate. Every year more than 300 children with a cleft lip and/or palate will have ongoing problems with their speech and language as they start school. These problems can affect how well they form friendships and how well they learn. Research has shown that there is a group of children with a cleft lip and/or palate who have difficulties processing sounds and noises even if they have good hearing. This is something that is not routinely assessed in the UK and there is no research with children with cleft lip and/or palate which has looked at how this relates to speech and language development.
This study aims to investigate the listening profile of children aged five-years and older with cleft lip and/or palate. It uses a parent questionnaire called the Evaluation of Children’s Listening and Processing Skills (ECLiPS). This questionnaire has 37 items which ask questions about listening skills and takes about 15-30 minutes to complete.
We will send out this questionnaire electronically to parents who are already part of the Cleft Collective Birth Cohort study.
Answers from the questionnaire will be collected and the profile of children with different diagnoses compared, for example cleft lip only, unilateral cleft lip and palate. Comparing these with answers from other questionnaires from the Birth Cohort study will allow us to investigate if there are any links between listening difficulties and speech and language problems. Other issues will be considered too, for example, where the child lives.
Results from this study will increase our understanding of the different factors which influence speech and language and may lead to new interventions.
Summary of results- Children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL±P) are at significant risk of speech disorder. There is evidence to suggest that there is a group of patients born with CL+/-P who have significant difficulties listening and processing sounds. This may impact speech development as well as language and reading skills, which has implications for how well children do at school.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0259
Date of REC Opinion
28 Oct 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion