Protocols in the management of cleft lip and palate: A systematic review

To identify clinical decisions on surgical as well as non-surgical modalities for the treatment of CLP patients based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

PubMed, Ebscohost, and Cochrane Library were searched and 20 articles based on RCTs conducted on cleft patient management were identified.

The topics explored were infant orthopedics, lip and palate repair, alveolar bone grafting, and management of cleft maxillary hypoplasia. Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) was found to have great benefits when carried out within one month of birth. Fisher and Mohler's lip repair technique and use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rh-BMP2) for alveolar bone grafting showed promising results. rh-BMP2 for alveolar bone grafting appears to be a promising alternative to autografts.

Early commencement of NAM in neonatal life is of great benefit to cleft patients. There is a need for more multicentre collaborations, mainly to identify the ideal surgical technique to reduce the variability in treatment and to ensure that the patient receives appropriate evidence-based treatment.