Salivary Cortisol and Sustained Auditory Attention in Children with and without Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract Introduction Cortisol is a hormone involved in the response to stress. Attention is a function that can change due to exposure to stress. Objectives To verify the correlation between the level of salivary cortisol and sustained auditory attention in children with cleft lip and palate, as well as to compare the results of the variables analyzed between female and male patients. Methods In total, 103 children aged 6 to 11 years, were divided into 2 groups: those with cleft lip and palate (experimental group, EG; n = 69) and the control group (CG; n = 34). The Sustained Auditory Attention Ability Test (SAAAT) and salivary cortisol levels, measured by an enzyme immunoassay kit (Salimetrics, Stage College, PA, US), were calculated and compared regarding the two groups. The statistical tests used were the Mann-Whitney test and the Spearman correlation. Results The median level of salivary cortisol was of 0.03615 μl/dL and 0.18000 μl/dL respectively for the EG and CG, with a significant difference between the groups (p =0.000). Absence of statistical significance (total error score = 0.656; vigilance decrement = 0.051) was observed the for SAAAT among the EG (median total error score = 12.00; 25th percentile [25%] = 7.00; 75th percentile [75%] = 21.00; and vigilance decrement = 1.00; 25% = 0.00; 75% = 2.50) and the CG (median total error score = 12.00; 25% = 6.00; 75% = 24.00; and vigilance decrement = 0.00; 25% = -1.00; 75% = 2.00). Conclusion All children had median levels of salivary cortisol and scores for sustained auditory attention within normal parameters. A significant correlation between the level of salivary cortisol and the ability to sustain auditory attention was observed in children without cleft lip and palate. There were no differences regarding the SAAAT and salivary cortisol between female and male patients.

Three-dimensional Digital Evaluation of Dental Arches in Infants with Cleft Lip and/or Palate

The aim of this study was to measure and compare the dimensions of the dental arches on three-dimensional digital study models in children with and without cleft lip and palate before the primary surgery. The sample consisted of 223 digital models of children aged 3-9 months, divided into 5 groups: without craniofacial deformities, unilateral and bilateral incomplete cleft lip and alveolus, unilateral and bilateral complete cleft lip and alveolus, unilateral cleft lip and palate, and bilateral cleft lip and palate. Dental casts of the maxillary dental arches of the children were used. The dental casts underwent a process of scanning through 3D scanner and the measurements used for the correlation among groups were made on the scanned images. Statistical analysis was performed by t test and ANOVA followed by Tukey test. The results showed that the intercanine distance and anterior cleft width was wider in children with unilateral cleft lip and palate. The intertuberosity distances and posterior cleft width was wider in children with bilateral cleft lip and palate among the groups. Children with cleft lip and palate before the primary surgery had wider maxillary arch dimensions than the children without cleft lip and palate.

O propósito deste trabalho foi mensurar e comparar as dimensões dos arcos dentários em modelos digitais tridimensionais de crianças com ou sem fissuras de lábio e palato antes das cirurgias primárias. A amostra foi composta de 223 modelos de gesso de crianças, de 3 a 9 meses, divididas em 5 grupos: sem deformidades craniofaciais, fissura pré-forame incompleta, fissura pré-forame completa, fissura transforame unilateral e fissura transforame bilateral. Modelos de gesso dos arcos dentários superiores das crianças foram utilizados para avaliação. Os modelos passaram por um processo de digitalização, por meio de escâner 3D e as medidas utilizadas para a correlação entre os grupos foram realizadas diretamente nas imagens escaneadas. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio do teste t e ANOVA seguido pelo teste de Tukey. Os resultados mostraram que a distância intercaninos e a amplitude anterior da fissura foram maiores nas crianças com fissura transforame unilateral. A distância intertuberosidades e a amplitude posterior da fissura foi maior nas com fissura transforame bilateral entre os grupos estudados. As crianças com fissura de lábio e palato apresentam as dimensões dos arcos maxilares maiores que as crianças sem fissura labiopalatina antes das cirurgias primárias.

Evaluation of the intercanine distance in newborns with cleft lip and palate using 3D digital casts

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this present study was to compare, by means of 3D digital casts, the anterior transverse dimension of the dental arch of newborns with and without cleft lip and palate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample was composed of ninety-four children aged from 3 to 9 months divided into three study groups: Group I - children without craniofacial deformities (control group); Group II - children with unilateral cleft lip and palate; Group III - children with bilateral cleft lip and palate. Impressions were executed before lip and palate repair in patients with clefts. Dental casts were digitized using a 3D scanner linked to a computer. Measurements of the intercanine distance were measured on the digital casts. Intergroup comparisons were performed using ANOVA (p<0.05). RESULTS: The results showed a mean of 36.5 mm for unilateral cleft lip and palate group, 34.8 mm for bilateral cleft lip and palate group and 27.52 mm for the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the control group and both groups of patients with cleft lip and palate. There was no statistically significant difference between complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with complete cleft lip and palate were born with an increased anterior dimension of the maxillary dental arch compared to non cleft patients. .