Voice related quality of life in pediatric patients with a history of prematurity

Objective

To determine incidence of dysphonia in patients with history of prematurity and evaluate the correlation between dysphonia and risk factors unique to premature infants. The aim of this study is to determine parent-perceived vocal quality in patients with history of prematurity and whether duration of intubation, number of intubations, and incidence of patent ductus arteriosus repair were correlated with these perceptions.

Methods

Cohort study of premature patients presenting to outpatient clinics from January 2010 to January 2013 in tertiary care center. Patients gestational age ≤37 weeks at birth without history of tracheostomy or known vocal fold pathology were eligible. A volunteer sample was obtained from patients presenting in Otolaryngology clinics from January 2010 to January 2013 whose parents agreed to complete surveys. Outcomes were assessed via parental completion of pediatric voice outcomes score (pVOS) and pediatric voice-related quality of life (pVRQOL) instruments. The primary outcome assessed was the incidence of dysphonia in infants with a history of prematurity without known vocal pathology. Additionally, patient factors associated with dysphonia were evaluated. The hypothesis tested was formulated prior to data collection.

Results

Sixty-nine participants were included. Mean age at follow-up was 28 (3–197) months. Mean gestational age was 29 (23–37) weeks. Mean intubation duration was 3 (0–22) weeks and median number of intubations was 1 (range 0–5). Voice outcome scores varied widely with pVRQOL scores demonstrating a mean of 89.2 ± 18.1 (25–100) and pVOS with a mean of 11.4 ± 2.2 (0–13). Univariate analysis utilized Spearman correlation coefficients for continuous variables and Wilcoxon Two-sample test for categorical groups. Significance was set at p < 0.05. All significant univariate associations were placed in a multivariate model. Duration of intubation ≥4 weeks was the only factor which correlated with dysphonia on multivariate analysis (p = 0.0028, OR = 6.4, 95% CI = 1.9–21.6).

Conclusions

The data suggest that prolonged intubation is associated with poorer long term parent-perceived voice quality in premature patients. Further study is required to correlate parent perceptions with objective vocal quality data and physical findings of vocal pathology. These data may increase the clinician's suspicion for and evaluation of dysphonia in this population.