A cleft lip or a cleft palate affects one out of eight hundred babies. These are two different conditions, but are related to each other since a child can suffer from one or both of them. A cleft palate is when the roof of the mouth did not develop properly; leaving an opening in the roof of the mouth, which causes feeding problems for babies and speech problems for older children. A cleft lip, on the other hand, is a separation from the middle area of the upper lip up to the nose. This causes nostril deformity and can affect the facial appearance. Like a cleft palate, babies may also experience feeding problems and older children may have difficulty in forming sounds.
Fortunately for children who are born with these conditions, a maxillofacial surgeon can do repairs. Children with cleft palate may undergo surgery between seven to eighteen months. During the procedure, the roof of the mouth will be closed and muscles will be reconnected. For children with a cleft lip, they may undergo surgery at around ten years of age. The gap will be closed and other problems in the nostrils will also be fixed to improve the appearance.
Every case is different. If you are interested to have your child's cleft lip or palate corrected, schedule a visit with Dr. Kevin Bond and his staff in Southpark Oral Surgery.
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