PurposeThe purpose of this meta-analytic study was to identify clinical characteristics, defined as child factors that can be assessed by a speech-language pathologist as part of a routine speech-language evaluation that may differentiate children who persist in stuttering from children who eventually recover from stuttering. Clinical characteristics explored included sex, age at onset, family history of stuttering, stuttering frequency and severity, speech-language skills, and temperament.MethodStudies were identified through electronic databases, journals, and reference lists of relevant reports (e.g., research articles). Eligible studies followed young children who stutter (i.e., under 6 years old) for at least 24 months, assessed a potential clinical marker at study entry, and determined talker group classification (i.e., persistent or recovered) at study completion. Sex and family history differences were estimated using risk ratios; all other differences were estimated using Hedges'sg. Heterogeneity and methodological differences among studies were evaluated.ResultsEleven studies (41 reports) met eligibility criteria. Persistent children were older at stuttering onset and exhibited higher frequencies of stuttering-like disfluencies, lower speech sound accuracy, and lower expressive and receptive language skills than recovered children. Males and children with a family history of stuttering were also more likely to persist.ConclusionsClinical characteristics were identified that are associated with increased risk for stuttering persistence. Future studies have the potential to translate these clinical characteristics into prognostic markers for stuttering persistence risk.

中文翻译：

---

与口吃持续性相关的临床特征：荟萃分析

目的这项荟萃分析研究的目的是确定临床特征，定义为可由言语病理学家评估的儿童因素，作为常规言语评估的一部分，可以区分持续口吃的儿童和最终康复的儿童从口吃。探索的临床特征包括性别、发病年龄、口吃家族史、口吃频率和严重程度、言语技能和气质。方法研究是通过电子数据库、期刊和相关报告的参考文献列表（例如研究文章）来确定的。符合条件的研究对口吃（即6岁以下）的幼儿进行了至少24个月的跟踪，在研究开始时评估了潜在的临床标志物，并在研究完成时确定了说话者组的分类（即持续性或恢复性）。使用风险比来估计性别和家族史差异；所有其他差异均使用 Hedges 估计G。评估了研究之间的异质性和方法学差异。结果11 项研究（41 份报告）符合资格标准。与康复的儿童相比，持续性口吃的儿童出现口吃的年龄较大，并且表现出更高的口吃样不流利频率、较低的语音准确性以及较低的表达和接受语言技能。有口吃家族史的男性和儿童也更有可能坚持口吃。结论已确定与口吃持续性风险增加相关的临床特征。未来的研究有可能将这些临床特征转化为口吃持续风险的预后标志物。