DO BABIES REQUIRE ARM SPLINTS AFTER CLEFT-PALATE REPAIR

Traditionally, arm restraints are used in children after cleft surgery to prevent traumatic disruption of the repair. A questionnaire amongs t consultant plastic surgeons in the UK showed that restraints are in common use. However, a prospective randomised trial of 46 children hav ing primary cleft palate repair showed that arm splints did not decrea se the incidence of oronasal fistulae. Six of 21 children who had arm splints in the postoperative period and 5 of 25 who did not have splin ts developed an oronasal fistula. We have therefore abandoned the use of arm splints after cleft palate repair.