Effectiveness of 2 Lip Taping Techniques in Infants With Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: A Randomized Clinical Trial

ObjectivesThis trial was designed to test the efficacy of 2 lip taping methods in modifying the maxillary arch dimensions (MADs) of infants with bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) before lip repair surgery.DesignParallel-group randomized clinical trial.SettingThe trial was conducted at 3 centers in Baghdad city.ParticipantsThirty-six nonsyndromic infants with BCLP.InterventionThe eligible infants were randomly assigned to either the first experimental group that received a conventional horizontal tape (3 M Steri strip-1/4 inch) or the second experimental group that received a custom-made tape made of Steri strips and orthodontic extra oral elastics. All of the included infants in both groups had rubber base impressions taken for them at the start of treatment (T1) and right before surgical lip repair (T2). A desktop scanner was used to scan each of the generated models, creating digital models that could be used for outcome evaluation.Main Outcomes MeasuresVirtual MAD measurements were performed by a blinded assessor on the generated digital models both before (T1) and after (T2) treatment.ResultsAt T2, both groups showed statistically significant changes in all measured MADs, with a mean difference ranging from 1.36 to 2.95 mm for the conventional taping group and from 1.46 to 7.96 mm for the custom-made one. The comparison of the 2 groups revealed both statistically and clinically significant differences with a P value <.05. The custom-made taping demonstrated more constriction in maxillary arch in terms of changes, which could provide easier surgical manipulation for the cleft parts.ConclusionLip taping appears to be an efficient technique for modifying the MADs in infants with BCLP.