Neonatal cleft lip repair with early breast feeding: preliminary report

ABSTRACT

20 cases of congenital cleft lip have been repaired in the neonatal period [first 4 weeks of life] during the past 1 1/2 years at the pediatric surgical department, children's hospital, Cairo University. Preoperative full assessment for each case has been done and preoperative adhesive strapping was used in cases of bilateral cleft lip to improve the alignment of the protruded prolabium and premaxilla. The techniques of repair used were the modified Tennison-Randle in the unilateral cases and Veau 11 in bilateral cases. The alveolus and anterior plate were closed in most cases prior to lip repair using a Septal mucosal flap and buccal mucoperiosteum. Breast feeding can in fact be safely undertaken immediately following cleft lip repair contrary to the old idea the follow up period in not long enough to conclude a final recommendation, but the preliminary results are encouraging and no particular difficulties were encountered when early repair was performed and the results seemed to be as good as when surgery was delayed