Evaluation of prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip/palate by foetal ultrasonographic examination

Ultrasound scans in the midtrimester of pregnancy are now a routine part of antenatal care in many countries. This type of screening procedure can det ect serious foetal anomalies. Thanks to our registry of congenital anomalie s a study was undertaken. The objective of the study was to evaluate prenat al detection of cleft lip (palate)(CL/P) by routine ultrasonographic examin ation of the foetus in 265 679 consecutive pregnancies from 1979 to 1998. T he percentage of prenatal detection of CL/P was low. For isolated malformat ion (foetuses with only CL/P) the detection rate was low: 17.8%; however, t his detection rate increased from 5.3% during the period 1979-1988 to 26.5% during the period 1989-1998, for foetuses with associated malformations (f oetuses with CL/P and one or more additional major malformations) these det ection rates were 34.6, 13.3 and 50.0%, respectively. In foetuses with asso ciated malformations with CL/P this detection rate was higher for chromosom al abnormalities with CL/P and for non-syndromic, non-chromosomal multiply malformed children with CL/P than for non-chromosomal recognized syndromes with CL/P. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.