Clinical epidemiological investigations were undertaken on the incidence, causal factors and the adequate time for operation of harelip and cleft palate. The effect of pharyngeal flap operation on the speech was also studied.
Materials were 377 cases of harelip and cleft palate (192 males and 185 females) who were selected from the patients operated at the Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, National Nagoya Hospital, between October 1948 and December 1973. Of 377 cases, there were 66 harelip, 227 cleft palate and 84 combined cases with harelip and cleft palate.
Results were as follows:
1. Incidence
i) Twelve out of 10, 153 babies born at the Hospital during 1915-1972 were the cases of harelip and cleft palate, i. e. 1 to 850.
ii) No significant difference was to be noted between the sexes.
iii) The left side was more predominant than the, right, side.
iv) No significant difference was observed between the first child and others.
2. Causal Factors
i) Family incidence was about 7.4%.
ii) Parental Factors
a) Mothers of the patients were found out more predominantly in the group who were 25-30 years of age. This is probably due to the high frequency of delivery in this age-span.
b) No significant difference was to be noted in the parent educational backgrounds.
c) The cases were somewhat more frequently found in the low-income group.
3. The adequated time for operation.
Most of harelip cases were operated when they weighed about 3.5 to 4.5 kg.
In cleft palate cases, good results in speech was obtain in the cases who were operated between 1 and 2 years of age.
4. Effects for speech.
The patients treated with speech therapy after the operation showed satisfactory results, and the better results were obtained in the cases with high I.Q..
In the patients with poor speech, the pharyngeal flap operation was done with satisfactory results.
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