Cleft lip and palate: a descriptive retrospective and prospective study conducted at two hospitals in Nairobi
Abstract
This was a combined retrospective and prospective study in which
the two sets of results were correlated. The retrospective study was
conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital whereas the prospective
study was conducted at Metropolitan hospital located at the
Eastlands suburban of Nairobi. The main objective of the study
was to establish the presentation and pattern of clefts lip and palate
and complications of repair at the two hospitals.
Files of patients presenting with clefts lip and palate at Kenyatta
National Hospital between January 1-998and December 2007 were
retrieved and a questionnaire filled for each of them. Sixty eight
consecutive patients seen and operated at Metropolitan hospital
were recruited in the study after consenting and followed for three
months. The data was analyzed using appropriate tests of
significance and it is hoped that the results will be useful in future
cleft prevention, management and research locally and
internationally.