Causes and Treatment for Cleft Palates

Cleft lip occurs when the tissue of the upper jaw and nose does not blend perfectly, resulting in a cleft or a gap. This gap can occur only on the lips (cleft lip), roof of the mouth or palate (cleft palate), or even both. During pregnancy between the fifth and ninth week, the face and jaw develop. At this time in normal infants, parts of the face and jaw are well integrated, but this unification is disrupted in babies born with cleft lip conditions. Cleft lip is divided into two types, namely unilateral cleft and bilateral cleft. Unilateral cleft occur only on one side of the lip while bilateral cleft occurs on two sides of the lip.

Cleft Lip Symptoms

Cleft lip is usually known when a newborn baby. The main sign is cleavage on the lips. The shape can be a small gap in the lips or a longer gap. This longer gap extends from the lips to the upper gums, palate and nose. There is also a cleft that occurs only in the soft palate muscles behind the mouth, but this condition is rare. If this happens, it is usually not immediately detected when the baby is born.

Causes of Cleft Lip

The cause of the occurrence of cleft lip is not known with certainty, but it is suspected genetic factors and environmental factors can have an impact on the occurrence of this condition.

• Genetic

Research states that genes from parents inherited from children put children at higher risk for developing cleft lip. However, if a parent experiences a cleft lip, not necessarily his children will always experience a cleft lip as well.

• Folic acid deficiency

Folic acid helps to prevent the possibility of birth defects. All pregnant women are advised to meet the needs of folic acid every day from 3-4 weeks before pregnancy. Folic acid deficiency is thought to have helped increase the risk of a fetus getting a cleft lip. Indeed there is no strong evidence that consuming folic acid can prevent cleft lip, but several studies have shown that folic acid can support the formation of fetal cells and facial tissue in the womb. However, the role of folic acid clinically to prevent cleft lip in the fetus still needs to be supported by continuing research.

• Smoke

The danger of smoking while pregnant is not kidding. Pregnant women who have the habit of smoking can put their babies at higher risk for various birth defects, one of which is cleft lip. As for pregnant women who become passive smokers, it is not certain whether the baby is at higher risk of being born with a cleft lip condition. It is recommended for pregnant women not to smoke, both actively and as passive smokers, to reduce various risks to the womb and the fetus.

• Obesity and poor nutrition

Factors of excess body weight and nutritional adequacy play an equally important role in this regard. Babies conceived by obese mothers are at higher risk for developing cleft lip. Likewise with babies conceived by mothers who experience malnutrition.

• Drug side effects

Pregnant women need to pay attention to the drugs consumed during pregnancy because of the potential impact on fetal growth. Consult your doctor if you take drugs for certain conditions while pregnant. Allegedly, some cases of cleft lip in infants are a side effect of certain drugs.

• Pierre Robin Syndrome

That is the condition of a baby born with a small jaw and a more backward position of the tongue due to genetic disorders. Both of these affect fetal development which often causes cleft palate. The impact, babies can experience upper respiratory disorders. Sometimes a breathing tube is needed to help the baby breathe. Pierre Robin Syndrome is rare, but babies with this syndrome usually have cleft lips.

Cleft Lip Treatment

Cleft lip can be cured with the operation step. Lip repair surgery is generally done when the baby is three months old. The processing time is 1-2 hours. The baby is given general anesthesia, then the lips and muscles are repaired. The wider the gap in the lips, the longer the processing time. Palate surgery is usually done when babies are 6-12 months old. The processing time is about two hours. Before surgery, the baby is given general anesthesia first. How to do it by rearranging the structure of the palate, following the muscles around it. In most infant conditions, a series of surgeries can treat cleft lip. Lip appearance can be more normal with minimal scars. As it grows, the child should continue to be seen by a doctor every 5 years from the age of 5 to 20 years.