Assessment of unilateral cleft lip and palate management using presurgical NAM.

Unilateral cleft lip and palate is a complex craniofacial deformity involving disruption of the lip, alveolus, maxilla and nasal framework. Presurgical nasoalveolar molding (NAM) has emerged as an important adjunctive modality. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the effectiveness of presurgical nasoalveolar molding in infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate. 20 non-syndromic infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate underwent presurgical NAM therapy prior to primary lip repair. Presurgical nasoalveolar molding is an effective, non-invasive adjunct in the management of unilateral cleft lip and palate. Early initiation of NAM significantly optimizes presurgical anatomy.