Cleft palate and lip are defects that occur when these two features fail to form properly during early pregnancy. Before birth, the baby's lip and palate should have properly joined. When the lip does not form properly, an opening develops in the upper lip and continues right into the nose. Tissues that should create the roof of your baby's mouth also sometimes do not join correctly. Both conditions can result in feeding and talking problems, possible loss of hearing, ear infections, and teeth problems as your infant develops.

Surgical Intervention

Surgical intervention is advised for kids with cleft lip and palate conditions. Note that you must have your baby undergo lip surgery before reaching the age of 12 months. Cleft palate surgery should be done before your child reaches the age of 18 months. Surgeons prefer to perform cleft palate surgery repair on infants who are between 6 to 18 months of age. They feel that this timing avoids extensive abnormal speech development. So surgical cleft palate repairing, when given earlier, evidently helps your child before the infant forms speech habits.

Additional Procedures

Some children may also need additional procedures if they develop unique dental and speech conditions. The goal is to make sure that these kids who do undergo lip and palate treatments thereafter lead normal and healthy lives.

What You Should Also Know

The fact that your kids have undergone proper procedures doesn't mean treatment ends after the procedures. Your child could possibly still require special feeding techniques to ensure that adequate caloric intake and weight gain are maintained.

Other Psychosocial Treatment Benefits

Kids assigned for hearing and dental services, or who need speech therapy or other psychosocial treatments, are monitored closely. There could be a need to have further secondary surgical procedures performed. That's when expert professional attention and feedback becomes valuable.

Dealing With Genetic Conditions

No child or parent of a child chooses genetic conditions. That condition is handed down by genetics and passed on to kids by heredity genes. Innovative technology over the years prepare professionals and the parents of children who suffer from lip and cleft palate conditions for the road ahead. Multidisciplinary teams of specialists are dedicated to restoring how your child's face looks and functions. They offer comprehensive care that modifies the best outcome for looks, speech, and other psychosocial qualities. Your child receives unique personalized treatment plans for what changes need to be made. Kids do benefit largely from such comprehensive care.

 

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