[Growth stimulation and growth treatment in patients with cleft lip, jaw and palate]

Both in animal-experimental and in clinical research it has been demonstrated that early, extensive surgery on cleft palate patients has a growth inhibitory effect. Study of skulls of non-operated cleft palate patients seems to confirm this experience. A method of conservative, multidisciplinary treatment of cleft palate patients for which the application of the 'growth stimulator' is essential, is described briefly. During 18 years experience has been obtained with this therapy. It is very important that treatment starts as soon as possible after birth. After the introduction of the treatment method as described the number and the severity of the anatomical deviations in the nasomaxillary complex has been reduced considerably. In literature the incidence of crossbite is often chosen as the criterion for the mutual comparison of the results of cleft palate therapies. Patients treated with 'growth stimulators' show more than 50% less crossbite than groups of patients treated with other methods as described in literature.