 |
| Cleft Lip and Cleft Palates in Infants |
Oral clefts are one of the most visually noticeable birth defects in newborns. Although cleft lip or cleft palate is usually just a visual impairment, it can be hard to live a birth defect.
The fourth most newborns in the United States, cleft lip or cleft palate affect one in 750 babies each year, according to Web MD. Children with oral clefts can suffer from the inconvenience, and may also have difficulty speaking and eating cleft lip palate, if left untreated.
It is important that parents understand oral clefts, as they are and what you can do to prevent and treat them.
What is an oral cleft?
Oral cleft lip is a deformity, usually near nose. deformity is true to its name because it resembles a space, gap or indentation in the mouth area. There are several types of oral clefts, including cleft lip, cleft palate or a combination of the two.
Cleft lip, where the child is on oral tissues is not fully connected during development. When a child is born will appear as a gap in the lip. More boys than girls have cleft lip, according to Kids Health. However, more girls than boys cleft palate.
Located on the roof of the mouth behind the teeth, cleft palate, which the child is verbal palate does not close the development gap in letting hard or soft palate, which can vary in length. Sometimes this gap in the palate may expose the underside of the nose and lead to complications of the nose.
A child can have cleft lip and cleft palate, where both the lip and palate have a gap. This occurs when the tissues of the oral and the panel does not connect.
Lips features develop in early fetal growth, usually about eight weeks. This often allows the deformation of the lips to be seen before the baby is born with ultrasound. However, treatment can not begin until after the baby is born.
What can be done about it?
Oral clefts are caused by environmental and genetic factors. Despite this knowledge, there is currently no process in place guaranteed to prevent the development of oral clefts. One suggestion for mothers is to make sure that they are not in any strong medication, especially acne medication. Maintaining a healthy diet is wise as well. However, when the fetus has developed oral clefts, surgery is the most common treatment.
Luckily, medicine has evolved to the point where many oral cleft conditions treatable by surgery. Palatoplasty is a surgical procedure to reconstruct patients with cleft palate the palate. operation is intended to close the abnormal opening between the nose and mouth, as well as helping the patient to develop normal speech and help in swallowing, breathing and normal development of the mouth.
Many of these operations are personalized, like every cleft lip palate is different. The best time for this operation when a child aged six to 12 months of age. This gives them the best possible way to fully recover.
Is surgery the best option?
As explained earlier, all oral clefts are different, so no one can be treated in the same way. In some cases, such as cleft lip less, patients may require a small surgical procedure to strain seems nonexistent. However, in other cases, cleft palate can seriously affect speech and way of life.
Parents who are preparing to have a child with a cleft lip should discuss all available options with your doctor, especially children's surgeon, who can better explain exactly what their child will need