2017 Volume 60 Issue 3 Pages 184-189
The association between the presence of a cleft palate and the incidence rate of otitis media with effusion (OME) was investigated in relation to the type of cleft palate and the age. Subjects were 60 children with cleft palate (29 boys, 31 girls) who came to were followed up at our hospital every year from 1 to 6 years of age. The presence of OME in each subject was regularly checked based on the condition of the ear drum. In addition, the association between the velopharyngeal closure function (VPC) on vocalization and the incidence rate of OME was investigated in the 48 children (21 boys, 27 girls) with a cleft palate who underwent testing of the VPC every year from 4 to 6 years of age. A high incidence rate of OME was found in children with a cleft palate, showing a decreasing trend with age. At the age of six years, the incidence rate was statistically significantly lower in children with an isolated cleft palate than that in the children with a cleft lip and palate. Based on these results, children with an isolated cleft palate were considered to become progressively less susceptible to OME as they grew in age, as compared to children with a cleft lip and palate. No association was found between the VPC on vocalization and the incidence rate of OME.
