Vocal analysis in children: an integrative review

Abstract

Objective: to perform an integrative literature review about the characteristics of normal and dysphonic voices and the prevalence of vocal cords lesions in children. Methods: it is a literature integrative review. The survey of scientific articles was carried out through data bases Medline, LILACS, IBECS (through the VHL Search Portal), PubMed and ISI Web of Science. In the search of the articles were used the descriptors “Voice Disorders”, “Dysphonia”, “Hoarseness”, “Voice Quality”, “Speech Acoustics”, “Voice”, “Phonation”, “Vocal Cords”, “Pediatrics”, “Child”, “Child Preschool”. For the analysis of the data, the information collected was organized in a concise manner in a database, being performed in a descriptive way, considering the information about the sample, objectives, methodology and main results, and organized by content similarity. Results: 770 articles were identified, of which 36 were directly related to objective of the review and were analyzed. Conclusions: the vocal quality of children without vocal changes is characterized by fundamental frequency values that decrease with increase of age and with differences in relation to gender. The maximum phonation time increases with age. In dysphonic children the vocal quality is blow and rough, with a grade of alteration from mild to moderate; the acoustic measures of the voice, the maximum phonation time values are altered; the fundamental frequency is severe. The cyst is vocal cords lesion most prevalent up to six years age, and after this age is the vocal nodule