Cleft Lip and Palate
Medical Questions » Illnesses » Cleft Lip and Palate
| Name: Cleft Lip and Palate |
| Also known as: Hare Lip |
| A congenital deformity of the upper lip and palate (roof of mouth). |
Causes of Cleft Lip and Palate
From four to seven weeks after conception, every foetus has a double cleft lip; and from the fifth to twelfth weeks, every foetus has a double cleft palate. These clefts normally close before birth, but in one child in 800 it is incomplete. |
Symptoms of Cleft Lip and Palate
May vary from a barely noticeable notch just off center in the upper lip, to a complete wide split of the upper lip and full length of the palate on both sides. |
Tests for Cleft Lip and Palate
Sometimes detected late in pregnancy by an ultrasound scan of the foetus. After birth, sophisticated X-rays and CT scans of the face and skull will be undertaken before any surgical repair to accurately determine the
extent of the problem. |
Treatment for Cleft Lip and Palate
The aims are to ensure that the child has good speech, to enhance facial appearance, and to produce the best possible jaw function and dental bite. Surgical repair of the lip is normally performed between two and six months after birth. Infants with a double cleft lip must have special dental treatment to reshape their upper jaw prior to surgical repair of the lip. The palate repair is normally done at about one year of age. Modern surgery now makes it possible to correct the problem in older people who have a poorly repaired or unrepairable cleft palate.
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Complications of Cleft Lip and Palate of its treatment
The upper jaw does not grow as well as the lower jaw, so special dental and orthodontic care is necessary until the child has finished growing. They also need careful monitoring to ensure their hearing is adequate. |
Likely Outcome of Cleft Lip and Palate
Very good results from surgery. |
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