[A preliminary study of nasoalveolar molding for infants born with cleft lip and palate].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to apply nasoalveolar molding appliance in infants with cleft lip and plate and to observe the preliminary effects on nasal cartilage and columella.

Methods: Ten infants were treated with nasoalveolar molding. The other ten infants without any presurgical orthopedic treatment were chosen as the control group. Each patient was photographed at the initial visit (T0), after nasoalveolar molding (T1), 2 weeks (T2), and half a year (T3) after cheiloplasty. Six measurements were made on the photographs and the nasal symmetry was analyzed with paired t test.

Results: The percentage of the deviation from perfect symmetry was significantly improved at T0-T1, T1-T2 stage (P<0.05), and the improvement relapsed at T2-T3 (P<0.05). There was significant difference between the orthopedic group and the control group with the changes in nasal symmetry in vertical dimension (P<0.01), and there was no significant difference in horizontal dimension (P>0.05).

Conclusions: Nasal asymmetry was significantly improved after nasoalveolar molding. Half a year after the primary cheiloplasty, although there was a relapse tendency of nasal asymmetry, the shape of the nasal dome was ideal.