Evaluation of the Effects of Resonance Voice Therapy in Children with Vocal Fold Nodules.
We evaluated objective, auditive perceptual and subjective changes in the voices of children who underwent resonance voice therapy to treat vocal fold nodules.
We included 30 children with vocal fold nodules. All were evaluated prior to therapy and 6 and 8 weeks after therapy commenced via acoustic voice analysis, the grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain scale, and the Turkish version of the pediatric voice handicap index. Fundamental frequency, jitter, and shimmer were recorded. The results were compared.
The overall success rate was 86%. All data acquired before therapy differed significantly from those obtained after therapy. Resonance voice therapy is effective for children with vocal fold nodules.
Vocal fold nodules are the most common benign laryngeal pathology and the most frequent cause of chronic voice problems in children. The most common cause of VFNs is chronic phonotrauma.
Gastroesophageal reflux is among the possible etiologies, but physiological problems, psychological
factors, and issues related to excessive use, such as a large family, crowded classrooms, a noisy environment, and personal traits, such as a talkative personality, are contributing factors.
VFNs are estimated to occur in 17%-30% of children and are more common in boys,3,4,13 but they usually disappear in both sexes at puberty
Voice is an important aspect of personality; voice disorders may influence personal development during childhood. Adaptation to social life and schooling can be problematic, triggering personality problems such as poor confidence and social phobia.
The management options for VFNs in children include follow-up with no treatment, voice therapy, surgery, medication
aimed at treating gastroesophageal reflux, and a combination of approaches. However, VFNs in children should be managed conservatively.
Otolaryngol Open J. 2019; 5(1): 13-17. doi: 10.17140/OTLOJ-5-153
