CLEFT LIP/ CLEFT PALATE

BY

DESCRIPTION OF CLEFT PALATE

• palate is a common birth condition. It can occur alone or as part of a genetic condition or syndrome. Symptoms arise from the opening in the mouth. They include difficulty speaking and feeding. Surgery restores normal function with minimal scarring. If needed, speech therapy helps correct speaking difficulties.

DESCRIPTION OF CLEFT LIP

• A cleft lip is a physical split or separation of the two sides of the upper lip and appears as a narrow opening or gap in the skin of the upper lip. This separation often extends beyond the base of the nose and includes the bones of the upper jaw and/or upper gum.

LIKELIHOOD OF BEING BORN WITH THIS

• Cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, affects one in 700 babies annually, and is the fourth most common birth defect in the U.S. Clefts occur more often in children of Asian, Latino, or Native American descent. Compared with girls, twice as many boys have a cleft lip, both with and without a cleft palate.

CAUSES OF THIS CONDITION

• Cleft lip and cleft palate occur when tissues in the baby's face and mouth don't fuse properly.
• Researchers believe that most cases of cleft lip and cleft palate are caused by an interaction of genetic and environmental factors. In many babies, a definite cause isn't discovered.
• This is a combination of hereditary and environmental

Most cases of cleft lip and cleft palate are noticed right away at birth and don't require special tests for diagnosis. Increasingly, cleft lip and cleft palate are seen on ultrasound before the baby is born.

TREATMENTS

• If the child is at least 3 months then it would need 1-2surgeries
• Repair of a cleft palate often requires multiple surgeries over the course of 18 years. The first surgery to repair the palate usually occurs when the baby is between 6 and 12 months old. The initial surgery creates a functional palate, reduces the chances that fluid will develop in the middle ears, and aids in the proper development of the teeth and facial bones.

WOULD LIFE BE THE SAME?

• Patients consider their QOL is high level, but in detail they still worry about self concept psychological well-being. From indept interview patients would like to get further treatment to minimize their scar as soon as possible. CONCLUSION: Patients consider their quality of life as high level, but they would like to get further treatment.