HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content

Book Review

M. Mars, D. Sell, A. Habel (eds)

Wiley, New York, 2008

221 pp., sb, £34.99

ISBN 9780470019689

After reading the introduction I initially felt that reading the entire book was going to be heavy going, however, this book turned out to be a surprisingly easy read.

The book is divided in to 5 sections based on Surgery and Anaesthesia, Approaches to Organization, Facial Growth Research, Medical Management, Disability and Social aspects and Speech and Audiology. Each section is written by a suitably qualified professional with experience of managing and treating cleft lip and palate patients in the developing world.

Much emphasis by all the contributing authors is placed upon the long-term goals of visiting professionals/teams. They emphasize the importance of visiting professionals/teams being involved in training and teaching of local surgeons/speech therapists, health care workers, etc. to enable them to treat this group of patients independently.

A number of authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of developing countries being visited by larger organizations, e.g. The Smile Train and Operation Smile, and their insight is thought provoking.

A very interesting and useful chapter is titled ‘So you want to help in a less developed country?’ by Bruce Richard. This chapter discusses the necessary attitudes which may be needed by those wanting to be involved in this type of work, as well as more practical help given regarding work permits, visas and vaccination advice.

In this type of book, with a large number of authors, inevitably there will be some overlap, and this is the case here, however this does not distract from the overall content.

I feel however that a chapter on dental health/care should have been included in this book and it is difficult to understand why such an omission was made. Indeed, all multidisciplinary cleft teams in the developed world should have input from paediatric and restorative dental specialists. It is impossible to separate this area of care from these children’s other needs.

Overall this book was interesting and informative and would be an interesting read for anyone currently involved in cleft care within the developed world or considering working within this area in the developing world.

Mechelle Collard

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content