STUDY PROTOCOL MOMENT – Management r

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleBackground Cleft lip and palate are among the most common congeni-tal malformations, with an overall incidence of around 1 in 700 individuals [1]. Cleft palate (CP) results in impaired Eustachian tube function; children with this condition are therefore susceptible to otitis media with effusion (OME), and approximately 90 % of children with CP have a history of nontrivial OME [1,2]. OME can impair hearing at stages thought to be important in the development of language, behavioural and social relationships. As a consequence it can influence the quality of life in these individuals. There are several approaches to the management of OME in children with CP, including watchful waiting, the provision of hearing aids, the insertion of ventilation tubes (grommets) or a combination of these [3]. How-ever, treatment protocols for OME have not always been well defined. Recently, National Institute for Clinical Ex-cellence Guideline CG60 on the surgical management of OME in children recommended a general care pathwa