PMY Tang, KLY Chung, YcL Leung, JWS Hung, CCW Liu, NSY Chao, MWY Leung, KKW Liu, KY Leung

Abstract

Introduction: In the recent years, paediatric surgeon has become increasingly involved in the multidisciplinary management of infant with cleft lip/palate deformity in the antenatal phase. The local epidemiological data on such service was lacking. We reported our centre's experience in providing one-stop multidisciplinary antenatal counselling service to parents of fetus with cleft lip/palate deformity. Methods: All pregnant women with the antenatal diagnosis of fetal cleft lip deformity received multidisciplinary antenatal counselling in our centre between January 2011 to December 2014 were reviewed. The maternal age, family history of cleft deformity and the postnatal outcome were analysed. Results: 62 pregnant women received multidisciplinary antenatal counselling in our centre. Nine (14.5%) of them chose to terminate the pregnancy after counselling. Two (3.2%) of them defaulted follow up at our center. The pregnant women are three times as likely to choose termination of pregnancy after counselling when the maternal age is =<33 years old (p>0.05) at the time of counselling. Conclusions: While multidisciplinary antenatal counselling may have placed substantial strain on resources, the outcome measure of its success is often non-tangible and difficult to evaluate. We reported our centre's experience and provided a baseline local statistical data to facilitate long term planning of resources allocation. Multidisciplinary antenatal counselling may potentially played a more crucial role when the pregnant woman is younger than 33 years old.