title: The association of cleft severity and cleft palate repair technique on hearing outcomes in children in northern Finland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The consequences of cleft lip and palate include scaring, dental malformations, tooth misalignment, speech problems, and hearing loss. Otitis media with effusion causing hearing loss is a problem for many cleft palate patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examines the association among cleft severity, palate repair technique, and hearing outcomes in children from northern Finland with clefts, aged 3-9 years. The study included 90 cleft patients who were treated at the Oulu University Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate Center between 1998 and 2011. The severity of the cleft, the surgical technique used to repair the palate, audiogram configuration data, and the need for ventilation tube placement were determined retrospectively from patient records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 3.3% of cleft patients had an abnormal pure tone average hearing threshold representing abnormal hearing. Neither the surgical technique used to repair the cleft palate nor the severity of the cleft was a significant factor related to hearing loss or to the number of ventilation tubes required. Hearing improved significantly with increasing age over a span of 6 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuous follow-up with proactive placement of ventilation tubes before or at the time of palatoplasty results in hearing outcomes in cleft children that are similar to those reported in non-cleft children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Riitta H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Lithovius
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland; Department of Cariology, Paedodontics and Endodontology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Ville
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Timo J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Autio
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Development and Orthodontics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Harila
authors.affiliation: Department of Cariology, Paedodontics and Endodontology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Vuokko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anttonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: george.sandor@oulu.fi.
authors.forename: George K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Sándor
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Leena P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ylikontiola
mesh_terms: D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Cleft palate; Cleft severity; Cleft surgery; Hearing loss; Ventilation tube