Prognostic Implication of Associated Cleft Palate in Patients with Cleft Lip

Jung, Ji Ye; Hong, Joon Seok; Kim, Hye Jin; Sohn, Yoo Kyung; Shim, Soon Sup; Park, Joong Shin; Jun, Jong Kwan; Yoon, Bo Hyun; Syn, Hee Chul

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to compare the pregnancy outcomes and postnatal developmental problems according to the types of cleft lip and/or palate, and to evaluate the increase of the risk of the presence of cleft palate.
METHODS
Retrospective analysis was performed in 96 cases of cleft lip and/or palate that were delivered, aborted, or terminated at Seoul National University Hospital from January 1990 to July 2004. The cases of cleft lip and/or palate were categorized based on the Nyberg's classification, and cleft palate alone was added to it. According to the types, the frequencies of associated anomaly and chromosomal anomaly were assessed, and the frequencies of termination, spontaneous abortion, fetal death in utero, and infant death were compared. When long-term follow-up was possible among the surviving infants, we compared the frequencies of ventilatory tube insertion into the middle ear, hearing problem, and speech-language problem. We evaluated the increase of the risk in the presence of cleft palate.
RESULTS
Associated anomalies were present in 23.7% (9/38) of cases with cleft lip alone and in 55.1% (32/58) of those with cleft palate. The most common associated anomaly was cardiac anomaly. The surviving infants with cleft palate showed significantly higher rates of ventilatory tube insertion (70.0% [14/20] vs 3.1% [1/32]) and speech-language problem (42.1% [8/19] vs 10.7 % [3/28]) than those with cleft lip alone. The presence of cleft palate increased the risk of occurrence of associated anomaly (OR 3.97), termination (OR 5.20), infant death (OR 12.96), ventilatory tube insertion (OR 72.33), and speech-language problem (OR 6.06).
CONCLUSION
Associated cleft palate in patients with cleft lip has a poor impact on pregnancy outcomes, middle ear disease, and speech-language problem. Therefore, during the prenatal screening ultraso-nography, the careful examination should be directed for the detection of cleft palate in cases with cleft lip.