par Lejour, Madeleine
Référence Bruxelles médical, 58, 9, page (475-481)
Publication Publié, 1978
Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : The incidence of cleft lip and palate seems to have increased in the last years. It was 1‰ about 50 years ago, while statistics indicate that it affects over 600 new-born babies now. A restatement of cleft lip and palate treatment is of interest. As far as the lip is concerned, it can be operated towards the third month if palate is intact or towards the fifth or sixth month if palate is open. Bilateral clefts are operated towards the fifth or sixth months by two interventions at a distance of two months one from the other. The nose can have an early treatment together with the lip closure, but definitive correction will be performed when growth is completed. The maxillary arch, when the palate is intact, undergoes a spontaneous correction; if the palate is open, malformations may occur and be very evident; they are sometimes caused by an excessive early treatment. Pre-operative treatment by palatine plates is a matter of discussion, as well as surgical treatment in the very first years of life. The latter sometimes causes severe deformations, as shown by the use of organ grafts, now abandoned. Late treatment requires orthodontics starting from the sixth or seventh year. The palate is generally operated on when the infant is 18 months old and must subsequently be checked by an interdisciplinary team with regard to development of the maxillary arches, phonation and eventual otorhinolaryngologic complications. (Caronni - Milan)