Impact of parental wellbeing on communication development

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The impact of parental wellbeing on early speech, language and communication development for children born with cleft palate and/or lip.

• IRAS ID

  288282

• Contact name

  Caroline Williams

• Contact email

  caroline.williams52@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Newcastle Joint Research Office

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 2 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  Children born with cleft palate ± lip (CP±L) are at risk of long lasting speech, language and communication difficulties. Many factors influence a child’s communication development, such as genetics, structural differences and environmental influences, such as parental wellbeing.

  The proposed study will investigate the link between maternal and paternal wellbeing and the child’s speech, language and communication skills at 13 months of age. The research questions to be investigated are:

  1. Is there a link between parental wellbeing and early speech, language and communication development in children born with CP±L at 13 months of age?
  2. How common is depression, anxiety or psychological distress for parents of children born with CP±L?

  This project will use existing questionnaire data from the Cleft Collective Birth Cohort and the Cleft Collective Speech and Language Study. The following sections of the ‘post natal questionnaire’ will provide information about parental depression and anxiety:
  • The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) - detailing the parent’s depression and anxiety scores in the month prior to completion. Raw scores and coded outcomes e.g ‘normal’ ‘borderline abnormal’ or ‘abnormal’ to be analysed.
  • Demographic variables (‘date questionnaire completed’, ‘completed by’ and ‘do you live in the same house as baby’).

  Responses from the ‘Speech and Language Questionnaire’ collected when the child is 13 months of age will provide information about speech, language and communication developmental milestones.
  • Responses to questions 1-52 and the total score to be analysed.
  • Demographic variables on the completed form (‘date questionnaire completed’, ‘completed by’ and ‘child’s gender’).

  Other demographic variables to be investigated:
  • Age of parent when child was born.
  • Family history of speech, language or communication needs
  • Parity
  • Birth order
  • Languages spoken at home
  • Child’s hearing history
  • Socio economic status (level of parental education, income)
  • Child’s diagnosis
  • Child’s syndromic status

• REC name

  London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  20/PR/0666

• Date of REC Opinion

  24 Nov 2020

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion