Presurgical intervention of bilateral cleft lip and palate using nasoalveolar molding with a microfiber head cap

Abstract

Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) was introduced by Grayson et al. in 1993. NAM helps with reshaping of the maxillary arch deformity and nose before surgical lip repair. NAM involves lengthy and extensive use of taping and skin barriers to the infant's cheeks, which usually causes skin irritation and discomfort. This is a case report describing NAM, for an infant with bilateral cleft lip and palate and severely malpositioned premaxilla. In this case, a special head cap with straps was used to secure the NAM appliance instead of the conventional taping. After NAM, there was a significant improvement in the cleft deformity. The parents were very satisfied about the result and felt much more comfortable using the head cap with the special straps compared to the conventional taping because it reduced cheek irritation and was much easier to use.