More Care Needed for Adult Patients With Cleft Lip/Palate

A greater number of specialized or centralized care options may be needed for adults with cleft lip or palate, according to a new study, because these patients continue to face health and mental problems that often require the assistance of more than one specialist. 

The patients include those continuing their care from childhood and others seeking new advice or intervention, according to authors. The article “The Continuing Multidisciplinary Needs of Adult Patients with Cleft Lip and/or Palate” by Chuo, et al appeared in the October 2008 issue of The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal, published by the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association. “Some adult patients of all ages and all cleft types continue to have problems related to their cleft lip and/or palate and want intervention for those problems,” according to the authors. The most common problem is persistent nasal deformity. Other issues include problems related to hearing, speech, teeth, and social life plus concerns about social skills and social withdrawal. 

The study examined patients who have been treated at adult multidisciplinary cleft clinics in the West Midlands, UK, since June 2000. The researchers reviewed the number and nature of the patients’ problems and the types of treatment they required in 2004. A total of 145 patients were seen in the adult cleft clinic. Of those, 55 patients attended as part of their continuing care, and 90 were newly referred as adults to the cleft service. Patients ranged in age from 15 to 70 years and on average had 3 clinical problems each. According to the authors, “Intervention for the patients reviewed in this study included varied types of surgery, dental rehabilitation, psychological assessment and support, and speech assessment and therapy.” The authors conclude, “The problems of adults with cleft lip and/or palate may be changing. Our study supports the need for a specialist multidisciplinary cleft clinic to provide continuing care for patients who have a history of cleft lip and/or palate.”