Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th Ed.: 2007 Saunders, An Imprint of Elsevier
Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th Ed.: 2007 Saunders, An Imprint of Elsevier
Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th Ed.: 2007 Saunders, An Imprint of Elsevier
18th ed.
Copyright © 2007 Saunders, An Imprint of Elsevier
Clefts of the lip and palate are distinct entities closely related embryologically, functionally, and
genetically. Although there are a variety of theories, it is commonly thought that cleft of the lip
appears because of hypoplasia of the mesenchymal layer, resulting in a failure of the medial
nasal and maxillary processes to join. Cleft of the palate appears to represent failure of the
palatal shelves to approximate or fuse.
The incidence of cleft lip with or without cleft palate is ≈1/750 white births; the incidence of
cleft palate alone is ≈1/2,500 white births. Clefts of the lip are more common in males. Possible
causes include maternal drug exposure, a syndrome-malformation complex, or genetic factors.
Although both may appear to occur sporadically, the presence of susceptibility genes appears
important. There are families in which a cleft lip or palate, or both, is inherited in a dominant
fashion (van der Woude syndrome), and careful examination of parents is important to
distinguish this type from others, because the recurrence risk is 50%. Ethnic factors also affect
the incidence of cleft lip and palate; the incidence is highest among Asians and Native
Americans, and lowest among blacks. The incidence of associated congenital malformations
(chromosomal aneuploidy, holoprosencephaly) and of impairment in development is increased in
children with cleft defects, especially in those with cleft palate alone. The risks of recurrence of
cleft defects within families are discussed in Chapters 80 and 83 .
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS.
Cleft lip may vary from a small notch in the vermilion border to a complete separation involving
skin, muscle, mucosa, tooth, and bone. Clefts may be unilateral (more often on the left side) or
bilateral and may involve the alveolar ridge. Deformed, supernumerary, or absent teeth are
associated findings.
Isolated cleft palate occurs in the midline and may involve only the uvula or may extend into or
through the soft and hard palates to the incisive foramen. When associated with cleft lip, the
defect may involve the midline of the soft palate and extend into the hard palate on one or both
sides, exposing one or both of the nasal cavities as a unilateral or bilateral cleft palate. The palate
may also present with a submucosal cleft indicated by a bifid uvula, partial separation of muscle
with intact mucosa, or a palpable notch at the posterior of the palate.
TREATMENT.
A complete program of habilitation for the child with a cleft lip or palate may require years of
special treatment by a team consisting of a pediatrician, plastic surgeon, otolaryngologist, oral
and maxillofacial surgeon, pediatric dentist, prosthodontist, orthodontist, speech therapist,
geneticist, medical social worker, psychologist, and public health nurse. The child's physician
should be responsible for seeking the coordinated use of specialists and for parental counseling
and guidance.
The immediate problem in an infant born with a cleft lip or palate is feeding. Although some
advocate the construction of a plastic obturator to assist in feedings, most believe that with the
use of soft artificial nipples with large openings, a squeezable bottle, and proper instruction,
feeding of infants with clefts can be achieved with relative ease and effectiveness.
Surgical closure of a cleft lip is usually performed by 3 mo of age, when the infant has shown
satisfactory weight gain and is free of any oral, respiratory, or systemic infection. Modification
of the Millard rotation-advancement technique is the most commonly used technique; a
staggered suture line minimizes notching of the lip from retraction of scar tissue. The initial
repair may be revised at 4 or 5 yr of age. Corrective surgery on the nose may be delayed until
adolescence. Nasal surgery can also be performed at the time of the lip repair. Cosmetic results
depend on the extent of the original deformity, healing potential of the individual, absence of
infection, and the skill of the surgeon.
Because clefts of the palate vary considerably in size, shape, and degree of deformity, the timing
of surgical correction should be individualized. Criteria such as width of the cleft, adequacy of
the existing palatal segments, morphology of the surrounding areas (width of the oropharynx),
and neuromuscular function of the soft palate and pharyngeal walls affect the decision. The goals
of surgery are the union of the cleft segments, intelligible and pleasant speech, reduction of nasal
regurgitation, and avoidance of injury to the growing maxilla.
In an otherwise healthy child, closure of the palate is usually done before 1 yr of age to enhance
normal speech development. When surgical correction is delayed beyond the 3rd yr, a contoured
speech bulb can be attached to the posterior of a maxillary denture so that contraction of the
pharyngeal and velopharyngeal muscles can bring tissues into contact with the bulb to
accomplish occlusion of the nasopharynx and help the child develop intelligible speech.
A cleft palate usually crosses the alveolar ridge and interferes with the formation of teeth in the
maxillary anterior region. Teeth in the cleft area may be displaced, malformed, or missing.
Missing teeth or teeth that are nonfunctional are replaced by prosthetic devices.
POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT.
During the immediate postoperative period, special nursing care is essential. Gentle aspiration of
the nasopharynx minimizes the chances of the common complications of atelectasis or
pneumonia. The primary considerations in postoperative care are maintenance of a clean suture
line and avoidance of tension on the sutures. The infant is fed with a Mead Johnson bottle and
the arms are restrained with elbow cuffs. A fluid or semifluid diet is maintained for 3 wk;
feeding is continued with a Mead Johnson bottle or a cup. The patient's hands, toys, and other
foreign bodies must be kept away from the surgical site.
SEQUELAE OF CLEFT LIP AND PALATE.
Recurrent otitis media and hearing loss are frequent with cleft palate. Displacement of the
maxillary arches and malposition of the teeth usually require orthodontic correction.
Speech defects are often associated with cleft lip and palate and may be present or persist
because of inadequate surgical closure of the palate. Such speech is characterized by the
emission of air from the nose and by a hypernasal quality with certain sounds. Both before and
sometimes after palatal surgery, the speech defect is caused by inadequacies in function of the
palatal and pharyngeal muscles. The muscles of the soft palate and the lateral and posterior walls
of the nasopharynx constitute a valve that separates the nasopharynx from the oropharynx during
swallowing and in the production of certain sounds. If the valve does not function adequately, it
is difficult to build up enough pressure in the mouth to make such explosive sounds as p, b, d, t,
h, y, or the sibilants s, sh, and ch, and such words as “cats,” “boats,” and “sisters” are not
intelligible. After operation or the insertion of a speech appliance, speech therapy is necessary.
VELOPHARYNGEAL INCOMPETENCE.
The speech disturbance characteristic of the child with a cleft palate can also be produced by
other osseous or neuromuscular abnormalities where there is an inability to form an effective seal
between oropharynx and nasopharynx during swallowing or phonation. The abnormality may be
in the structure of the palate or pharynx or in the muscles attached to these structures. In a child
who has the potential for abnormal speech, adenoidectomy may precipitate overt hypernasality.
A submucous cleft palate may also cause this problem. In such cases, the adenoid mass may have
facilitated velopharyngeal closure when contacted by the elevated soft palate. If the
neuromuscular function is adequate, compensation in palatopharyngeal movement may take
place and the speech defect may improve, although speech therapy is necessary. In other cases,
slow involution of the adenoids may allow for gradual compensation in palatal and pharyngeal
muscular function. This may explain why a speech defect does not become apparent in some
children who have a submucous cleft palate or similar anomaly predisposing to palatopharyngeal
incompetence. Velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) can also occur in children with an inherent
palatal abnormality (velocardiofacial syndrome). A craniofacial disorders team and a geneticist
should evaluate VPI.
Clinical Manifestation.
Although clinical signs vary, the symptoms of VPI are similar to those of a cleft palate. There
may be hypernasal speech (especially noted in the articulation of pressure consonants such as p,
b, d, t, h, v, f, and s); conspicuous constricting movement of the nares during speech; inability to
whistle, gargle, blow out a candle, or inflate a balloon; loss of liquid through the nose when
drinking with the head down; otitis media; and hearing loss. Oral inspection may reveal a cleft
palate or a relatively short palate with a large oropharynx; absent, grossly asymmetric, or
minimal muscular activity of the soft palate and pharynx during phonation or gagging; or a
submucous cleft. The latter is suggested by a bifid uvula, by a translucent membrane in the
midline of the soft palate (revealing lack of continuity of muscles), by palpable notching in the
posterior border of the hard palate instead of a posterior nasal spinous process, or by forward or
V-shaped displacement or grooving on the soft palate during phonation or gagging.
Velopharyngeal incompetence may also be demonstrated radiographically. The head should be
carefully positioned to obtain a true lateral view; one film is obtained with the patient at rest and
another during continuous phonation of the vowel u as in “boom.” The soft palate contacts the
posterior pharyngeal wall in normal function, whereas in velopharyngeal incompetence such
contact is absent. Most accurate evaluations of VPI are accomplished by the use of
nasoendoscopy.
In selected cases, the palate may be retropositioned or pharyngoplasty performed using a flap of
tissue from the posterior pharyngeal wall. Dental speech appliances have also been used
successfully. The type of surgery used is best tailored to the findings on nasoendoscopy.