Infant orthopedics and facial growth in complete unilateral cleft lip and palate until six years of age (Dutchcleft)

C.A.M. Bongaarts, B. Prahl-Andersen, E.M. Bronkhorst, C. Prahl, E.M. Ongkosuwito, W.A. Borstlap, A.M. Kuijpers-Jagtman

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    Abstract

    Objective: To evaluate longitudinally the effect of infant orthopedics (IO) on dentofacial cephalometric variables in unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) patients from 4 to 6 years of age.
    Design: Prospective two-arm randomized controlled clinical trial in three cleft palate centers in The Netherlands (Dutchcleft trial).
    Patients: Fifty-four children with complete UCLP.
    Interventions: Patients were divided randomly into two groups. Half of the patients (IO+) had IO until surgical closure of the soft palate at the age of ±52 weeks; the other half (IO−) received no intervention.
    Mean Outcome Measures: Cephalometric values representing soft tissue, hard tissue, and dental structures, measured on lateral headfilms made at 4 and 6 years of age.
    Results: In the IO+ group, 21 patients were analyzed; in the IO− group, 20 patients were analyzed at age 4 and 22 at age 6. No differences were found between IO+ and IO−, except for two measurements: The interincisal angle was larger and the mentolabial angle was smaller in the IO+ group.
    Conclusions: For infants with UCLP whose surgical management included soft palate repair at 12 months and delayed hard palate closure, cephalometric outcomes at ages 4 and 6 provide no indication for the type of IO used in this study.
    Original languageUndefined/Unknown
    Pages (from-to)654-663
    JournalCleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal
    Volume46
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2009

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