Cleft lip means a gap or opening in the upper lip. This mainly happens in babies whose lips do not form properly when there were in their mothers’ wombs. This results in a gap or split in the lips of the baby. Having Cleft lips has become very much common these days. But many parents opt for surgeries when their babies are younger. Surgeries on the cleft lip are very much effective nowadays.
Types of Cleft lip:
- The most common type of Cleft lip is having a split on one side of the lip. This is also known as unilateral cleft lip.
- Another type of Cleft lip is having splits on both sides of the lip and this type is addressed as the bilateral cleft lip.
- A very small notch of the upper lip is called the incomplete cleft lip.
- An extended form of split that starts from the lip through the upper gum and ends into the nostril. This is a complete cleft lip. This type of Cleft lip can make a baby’s nose look either larger or smaller than usual.
Causes of Cleft lip:
During the first 6-10 weeks of pregnancy, the bones and skin of a baby’s upper jaw, nose, and mouth normally fuse together to create the roof of the mouth along with the upper lip. Now, the question arises when a Cleft lip forms! The answer is very easy to anticipate as a cleft lip occurs when the parts of the upper lip and the gum do not fuse together in a proper way.
Although there is a possibility to develop Cleft lip if a baby gains it from the previous family record, there are some other factors too:
- Taking wrong medicines when a woman remains pregnant
- Not acquiring the right prenatal nutrition
- Physical exposure of a pregnant woman to some harmful chemical compounds
- Excessive smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy
Complications
- Cleft lip can be responsible for having dental problems in the future
- It sometimes creates difficulties while eating
- It creates some problems while speaking or interacting with other
- People having Cleft lips often lack confidence and it affects someone’s self-esteem too.
With the modernization of medical science, a baby whether he/she is having a Cleft lip can be identified while having a pregnancy ultrasound scan. Even if it somehow fails to be identified, there are modern treatments available to get rid of this problem.
Treatment
Cheiloplasty is a popular surgical procedure that can repair Cleft lips. Efficient plastic and cosmetic surgeons conduct this surgery under general anesthesia. There are other special procedures like lip adhesion or Nasal Alveolar Moulding (NAM) that might help bring the parts of the lip closer together along with improving the shape of the nose.