08 January 2005	Saturday	26 Ziqa'ad 1425

KARACHI, Jan 7: No less than 10,000 babies with cleft palate, a serious congenital deformity, are born each year to Pakistani mothers suffering from iron and folic acid deficiencies.

The dangerous trend to administer steroids or other unsafe drugs during pregnancies is also responsible for this condition.

This was stated by some experts at a session organized on Friday at the Dow University of Health Sciences as part of a guest lecture series. The session was devoted to cleft lip and palate surgery.

It was revealed during the event that Pakistan ranked fourth in the world in terms of this particular deformity. Asians had more risk of such deformities than other populations due to some unknown genes.

Following a presentation by Dr W. Geoff Williams of the Medical University of Texas (Galveston) and Shriners Hospital, who spoke of timely intervention for psychologically- and physiologically-sound treatment of the affected children, Dr M. Ashraf Ganatra identified cousin marriages as a contributory factor.

The doctor working for the plastic surgery department of Civil Hospital Karachi also referred to possible, though involuntary, exposure of mothers to radiation during the first trimester of their pregnancies, leading to congenital defect in the babies.

In his presentation Dr Williams, citing the problem as a manifestation of genetic disorder, urged the plastic surgeons to adopt an extremely humane as well as careful approach in the handling of such cases. He pointed out that the parents of the affected children experienced severe psychological trauma.

Prof Williams, speaking of the treatment of cleft palate, said it was essential to see that patients came out as individuals having good personalities. Maintaining that getting a 100 per cent result out of cleft lip and palate surgery had emerged as a reality, he said surgeons ought to carefully analyse the details of each case.

He added that during surgery there should be an emphasis on the repairing of muscles, ensuring not only an improved appearance of the patient but an enhanced ability to speak clearly as well.

Dr Williams also underscored the significance of teamwork, adding that plastic surgeons, dentists, orthodontists and speech therapists all needed to contribute towards shaping a good future for patients.

The plastic surgeon also referred to the fact that appearance happened to be the most important facet of surgery, otherwise the concerned child might be exposed to severe emotional and social problems. He showed several photographs, elaborating that various overlooked factors could prevent the achievement of good results.

Answering a question, Dr Williams suggested three months as the most appropriate age for an affected child to be operated upon. At this age the skin was fragile, which helped the surgeon achieve good results. - APP