title: Prenatal counseling for cleft lip and palate.
abstract: Prenatal diagnoses of cleft lip and palate can occur during both routine screening obstetrical ultrasound and high resolution obstetrical ultrasound done for other reasons. The affected family or obstetrician may request prenatal consultation with the plastic surgeon. To define this population, a survey was done of all families who were referred to our cleft program with a prenatal diagnosis of cleft between 1990 and 1994. Of 80 newborn referrals, 13 had a prenatal diagnosis of cleft. These children had a higher incidence of bilateral cleft than our average population (53.8 percent versus 28.7 percent, p < 0.03, chi square test). No isolated cleft palates were identified. Nine families were available for follow-up. Only one-third of the families felt that they had been given adequate information about clefts from their obstetrician or ultrasonographer. All who had prenatal contact with the cleft team felt it was valuable. A review of prenatal diagnosis of cleft is given including limitations. Specific counseling information is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viglione
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal