This study investigated the prevalence of oral habits in children with clefts aged three to six years, compared to a control group of\r\nchildren without clefts in the same age range, and compared the oral habits between children with clefts with and without palatal\r\nfistulae.The sample was composed of 110 children aged 3 to 6 years with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate and 110 children\r\nwithout alterations. The prevalence of oral habits and the correlation between habits and presence of fistulae (for children with\r\nclefts) were analyzed by questionnaires applied to the children caretakers.The cleft influenced the prevalence of oral habits, with\r\nlower prevalence of pacifier sucking for children with cleft lip and palate and higher prevalence for all other habits, with significant\r\nassociation (P < 0.05). There was no significant association between oral habits and presence of fistulae (P > 0.05). The lower\r\nprevalence of pacifier sucking and higher prevalence of other oral habits agreed with the postoperative counseling to remove the\r\npacifier sucking habit when the child is submitted to palatoplasty, possibly representing a substitution of habits. There was no causal\r\nrelationship between habits and presence of palatal fistulae.
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