Clefts can be found in the hard palate towards the front of the mouth , soft palate more towards the back of the mouth or both. Craniofacial anomalies are abnormalities of the structures of the head and face. There are hundreds of craniofacial anomalies that are associated with communication disorders , with clefts as one of the subtypes. There is no one specific cause for clefts, however most cases are said to be of multifactorial inheritance. This indicates it is due to both genetic predisposition and environmental factors.
Clefting is a congenital malformation, meaning it is present at the time of birth. Congenital malformations are the result of disruptions during the embryonic growth process, which consists of the first weeks of gestation.
Genetic abnormalities Chromosomal abnormalities Recessive genetic inheritance in some syndromes such as orofacial-digital syndrome Autosomal dominant inheritance in some syndromes e. Treacher Collins syndrome, Apert syndrome Environmental factors Fetal alcohol syndrome Drug use Smoking while pregnant Some prescription drug side effects Positive family history How is a cleft lip or cleft palate related to speech and language disorders?
Speech Sound Disorders : can become a significant problem if the palatal cleft is not repaired early on or the repair was not effective. Because your child may have trouble feeding, a member of our team will give you special instructions on how best to feed your baby. Feeding a baby with one of these conditions can be stressful and requires patience and the use of special bottles or nursers.
Most children with cleft lip or cleft palate require surgery, but it probably won't happen right away. Cleft lips are usually treated between three and six months of age; cleft palates are often treated a little later, usually between nine and 18 months of age.
The doctor may put tubes in the baby's ears during one of these surgeries to help prevent ear infections. Most babies with cleft lip and palate need more than one surgery, but the doctors may not know until after the first surgery is done.
If your baby's cleft lip includes a cleft in the gum, the lip may be repaired first and the gum repaired after several more years. The lip is repaired earlier to normalize appearance. Gum openings are typically not repaired until 7 — 10 years of age. Before your child has surgery, it's important that they get the nutrition they need for normal development.
Your baby may need special bottles or even a feeding tube to help them feed normally. Some babies may benefit from nasoalveolar molding. Our team can also provide information about a special kind of tape that can temporarily close a lip cleft. Children with a cleft palate or cleft lip need follow-up for many years, as some problems aren't noticeable until they're older. Most children who have surgery attain a normal appearance and are able to speak and eat normally.
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Family history is health conditions and treatments that you, your partner and everyone in your families. Cleft lip and cleft palate are more common in families who are Asian, Hispanic and Native American. If you have a family history of cleft lip or palate, tell your health care provider and a genetic counselor.
Smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Women who binge drink during the first weeks of pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with a cleft lip or cleft palate than other women. Binge drinking is when you drink four or more drinks in 2 to 3 hours. Not getting enough nutrients , like folic acid , before and during pregnancy.
Folic acid is a vitamin that every cell in your body needs for healthy growth and development. If you take folic acid before pregnancy and during early pregnancy, it can help protect your baby from cleft lip and palate and birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects. Having diabetes before pregnancy.
Diabetes is a condition in which your body has too much sugar called glucose in the blood. Diabetes before pregnancy is also called preexisting diabetes or type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Taking certain medicines during pregnancy. Epilepsy is a seizure disorder that affects how the nerve cells in your brain work.
A seizure is when the whole body or parts of the body move without control. Being obese during pregnancy. Having certain infections during pregnancy, like rubella also called German measles. Take folic acid. Before pregnancy, take a multivitamin with micrograms of folic acid in it every day. During pregnancy, take a prenatal vitamin with micrograms of folic acid in it every day. Alcohol includes beer, wine and liquor. Get a preconception checkup.
Get to a healthy weight before pregnancy and talk to your provider about gaining a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy. Talk to your provider to make sure any medicine you take is safe during pregnancy. When you do get pregnant, get early and regular prenatal care. Prenatal care is medical care you get during pregnancy.
Protect yourself from infections. Talk to your provider to make sure all your vaccinations are up to date, especially for rubella. Vaccinations help protect you from certain infections.
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