Cleft palate is a curable birth defect. When a baby takes birth with a cleft or opening in the roof of the mouth and that eventually leaves a hole between the mouth and the nose, it is considered that the baby is born with a Cleft palate.
Types of Cleft palate
- A cleft may take place in the back of the palate or the soft palate
- An extend can occur into the front of the palate or the hard palate
- Often the cleft in the palate can connect with a cleft in the gums and the lip
Causes of Cleft Palate
A cleft palate occurs when parts of the roof of the mouth do not fuse together in the right way. Doctors indicate certain factors to be responsible for creating a Cleft Palate. Such as,
- Genetic record of having Cleft Palate
- Lack of nutrition when a woman is pregnant
- Leading unruly lifestyle (smoking and drinking) while pregnancy
- Certain chemical exposure during pregnancy
Complications
Having a Cleft palate can cause various physical complications, like,
- Trouble or shortness of breathing
- Facing problems while eating or drinking
- Difficulties while speaking or interacting with others
- Frequent infections of ears
- Loss of hearing
Treatment
Doctors check each and every body part thoroughly when a baby takes birth. A baby having a Cleft palate is generally gets identified at that time. And, accordingly, the treatment initiates.
Palatoplasty is a popular surgery for repairing Cleft palates. Renowned and experienced plastic and cosmetic surgeons opt for this surgical procedure to fix the issues of a Cleft palate. Palatoplasty can be conducted when a baby becomes 10-12 months old. Through this surgical process, plastic and cosmetic surgeons usually close the cleft between the nose and mouth. Surgeons via Palatoplasty create a palate that works well along with fixing the issues of speaking and eating food and drinking liquid without any leakage out of the nose. Plastic and cosmetic surgeons during the surgery close the cleft in layers, repair the muscles of the soft palate, and in the end, create two cuts on each side of the palate behind the gums.
This surgical process may require general anaesthesia and usually takes 2–3 hours. In most cases, babies return home after 1 or 2 days and the stitches dissolve on their own after some days.