Maxillofacial Unit of Dental Department of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, North West Nigeria, on Wednesday, presented Lecture on the Multidisciplinary Care of Patients with Cleft lip and Palate.
Our Correspondent reports that the causes of the disease were outlined during the lecture which took place at the main Conference hall of the hospital.
Chairman of the AKTH CLEFT TEAM, Professor Akinwale Adeyemi Efunkoya told Nigerian Kicker online that the participants at the Lecture included members of the cleft team made up of different medical personnel – Medical records, Dieticians/Nutritionist, Medical social welfare, Psychological support, Paediatrician, Paediatric dentist, Prosthodontics and Orthodontics.
While addressing the audience, Prof. Efunkoya said the prevalence of the disease has been reported around the world to be between 1:750 and 1:1000 live births adding that a recent hospital-based study in Nigeria shows an estimated prevalence rate of 0.5/1000.
According to him, children with clefts are usually faced with other challenges apart from the obvious gap/defect in the lip and/or palate pointing out that complete management involves many specialties working together.
He said AKTH, in partnership with SmileTrain, has been involved in cleft care since 2007 and is now focused on multidisciplinary cleft care.
Prof. Efunkoya explained the causes of cleft lip and/or palate to include genetic, environmental or a combination.
According to him, predisposing factors include: Environmental, Smoking while pregnant, Drinking alcohol while pregnant, Lack of folic acid, Drugs – for seizure, steroids, Genetic, consanguineous marriage, Parents with family history and Parent’s age (old age at – conception).
Both adults and children can present with cleft.
Prof. Efunkoya emphasized that holistic management of patients with cleft requires multidisciplinary approach with each team member playing a vital role and appealed to all stakeholders to be committed to their responsibility.
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director, CMD, of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Prof. Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe appealed to the medical personnel to see one another as part of the team with one aim adding that everyone has a role to play.
He noted that most of the complaints are practically oriented issues pointing out their success depends on facilities and the patients themselves.
“It depends on the circumstances,” he said.
Prof. Sheshe expressed gratitude to the participants and urged them to sustain the tempo.
Other Speakers at the Presentation:
Photos of Cross Sections of Participants:
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