Deviated nasal septum in the newborn—A 1-year study

A prospective study of 200 newborn babies was done at Silchar Medical College Hospital from September 2002 to August 2003. The babies aged from 0 to 4 days were taken in the study. They were examined for any signs of nasal obstruction, birth trauma, prolonged labour, mode of delivery (forceps/vaginal/caeserian section), intrauterine malposition, postmaturity, birthweight, cephalopelvic disproportion, parity of the mother and gestational period. The diagnosis was done by clinical examination, rhinometry, struts and applying cotton wool. In the study, the incidence was found to be 14.5% (29 cases). It was found that high-birth weight babies, delivered by vaginal route (55%), to a primi mother are more likely to have DNS after birth. Moreover, intrauterine malposition particularly breech (45%) and prolonged labour seemed to play a role in newborn DNS. More importantly, the present study seems to indicate that since a good percentage of such deformity originate at the gestational period, early detection at the neonatal age is vital to manage and also to prevent complications and sequelae in adult life. Therefore, a policy of routine screening in view of early correction is advocated to decrease the morbidity associated with nasal septal deviation in newborns.