Major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of oral clefts have been made in the past 50 years, and recent genetics and epidemiological studies have led to new theories about the causes of cleft lip and palate. Addressing issues that are relevant to clinicians, researchers and family members, this book is a comprehensive, well-illustrated, and up-to-date account of the many facets of this common disorder. The authors describe the embryological and molecular mechanisms of cleft causation, present and illustrate the genetic and epidemiological methods used to identify risk factors for oral clefts, and describe treatments by the various professionals of the cleft team. A section is also devoted to the integration of research findings into public health practice, including ethical and financial considerations. The book draws together such diverse disciplines as craniofacial development, gene mapping, epidemiology, medicine, ethics, health economics, and health policy and management, and it will be an invaluable reference work.

Neural tube defects affect about 4000 pregnancies a year and are thus among the most common of severe birth defects. Prenatal diagnosis can now detect about 70% of neural tube defects, but the tests produce many false positives, so the question is under what circumstances should they be recommended to pregnant women. This comprehensive volume - the collective knowledge of more than fifty-five experts in the field - provides lucid and authoritative discussions on this topic as well as on a wide variety of theoretical, experimental and clinical issues. The book is divided into three sections. Section I addresses embryology of the central nervous system, clinical features, epidemiology, and the genetics of neural tube defects. Providing a strong explanation of the mechanisms involved in NTDs formation and the genetic and environmental factors involved in their etiology, it guides the reader through the steps of diagnosis and the classification of the different types of NTDs. Section II describes in detail the assessment and treatment of the needs of individuals with NTDs. Prenatal and postnatal surgical techniques, orthopedic and urological management, genetic counselling and communication, psychological adjustment, and the transition to adulthood (including sexuality and toilet training) for patients with spina bifida are discusses. Section III presents new areas of emerging interest to society-at-large, such as how and when to fortify foods to prevent NTDs, the costs of treatment of individuals with NTDs, coverage of health care, quality of life, and the ethics of contemporary medical management. Written with a wide readership in mind, this book will be of interest to geneticists, paediatricians, neurologists, internists, graduate students, researchers interested in the field of birth defects, as well as to individuals with NTDs and their family members.