[Treatment of infants with Pierre Robin sequence]

Abstract

The Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) characterized by mandibular micro- or retrognathia and glossoptosis with or without cleft palate, presents clinically with intermittent upper airway obstruction (UAO). It is associated with other malformations in about half the cases. The incidence is about 1:8,500. Isolated PRS without other malformations does not, by itself, appear to affect neurodevelopment. Active intervention may therefore be required to reduce the risk for neurocognitive impairment resulting from UAO. Current treatment options for UAO range from prone positioning, use of a nasopharyngeal tube, glossopexy via tongue lip adhesion, mandibular distraction to tracheostomy. An effective, non-invasive treatment protocol which includes implementation of an intraoral orthodontic appliance with velar extension (the pre-epiglottic baton plate; PEBP) is presented in this article.