Cleft Lip and Palate Most Common Facial Birth Defect Leading Cause of Child Disability:Experts

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Chandigarh 22^nd March:- Cleft Lip and Palate is the most common facial birth defect and leading cause of child disability and mortality worldwide. In simple terms, a cleft is a separation of the parts of the lip or roof of the mouth that results when they fail to join during the early weeks of prenatal development (from week 5 to week 12 of the pregnancy). Babies may be born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. Frequency of Cleft Lip and Palate is 9.92 per 10,000 worldwide. In India, the number of infants born with Cleft Lip and Palate are 28,600 per year (i.e. 78 infants with deformities are born every day or 3 infants every hour). A cleft can have detrimental effects on appearance, eating, speech and occlusion, as well as causes ear and dental complications. The disorder may also cause social impairment, particularly if treatment is not timely undertaken. Treatment of such defects involves highly specialized team of Plastic Surgeons, Maxillofacial Surgeons, Pediatric surgeons, Otolaryngologists, Orthodontists, Pedodontists and Speech Therapists.

The Oral Health Sciences Centre of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research is hosting the 15^th Annual Conference of Indian Society of Cleft Lip Palate & Craniofacial Anomalies from March 25-27, 2016. The Conference will be inaugurated on 25th March 2016 at 07.00 PM in the Bhargava Auditorium of PGIMER. The Hon'ble Governor of Punjab, Haryana and Administration UT Chandigarh, Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki will grace the occasion as the chief guest and Prof. Yogesh Chawla, Director of the Institute will be the Guest of Honour. Approximately 300 delegates of varied medical specialties involved in the management of Cleft lip and palate from institutes all over India have registered for the conference. Delegates would get a chance to interact with eminent international speakers from USA, Germany, Scotland, and Switzerland as well as renowned speakers from India.     

Taking into account the high prevalence of childhood disability and mortality and also the complexities involved with Cleft Lip and Palate management, a multidisciplinary conference has been organized to highlight the role of the various disciplines involved in the management of such children. Prof Krishan Gauba, Head, Oral Health Sciences Centre, PGI Chandigarh is the Organizing Chairman, Prof S.P. Singh is the President of the dedicated society on Cleft Lip Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies , Prof Vidya Rattan is the Organizing Secretary and Prof Ashima Goyal from Unit of Pediatric Dentistry, PGIMER Chandigarh is the Chairman Scientific Committee for the conference.

The three days program will host various pre-conference hands on courses related to current techniques in surgery, Orthodontics and speech involved in the management of these children. A series of symposiums ranging from basics to advanced techniques in the management of clefts have also been planned as part of scientific programme where lectures by fifty five distinguished international and national guest faculties would be delivered along with three prestigious orations on Surgery, Speech and Orthodontics by international guest faculty.

Original research and innovative ideas of the budding specialists would be presented in the form of scientific oral and poster presentations. The best paper and poster would also be awarded.