Why does cleft palate happen

Not all cleft lips will be obvious on this scan and it's very difficult to detect a cleft palate on an ultrasound scan. If a cleft lip or palate does not show up on the scan, it's usually diagnosed immediately after birth or during the newborn physical examination done within 72 hours of birth. When a cleft lip or palate is diagnosed, you'll be referred to a specialist NHS cleft team who will explain your child's condition, discuss the treatments they need and answer any questions you have.

You may also find it useful to contact a support group, such as the Cleft Lip and Palate Association , who can offer advice and put you in touch with parents in a similar situation. Your child will usually have a long-term care plan that outlines the treatments and assessments they'll need as they grow up. Read more about how cleft lip and palate is treated.

The majority of children treated for cleft lip or palate grow up to have completely normal lives. Most affected children will not have any other serious medical problems and treatment can usually improve the appearance of the face and problems with feeding and speech.

Surgery to repair a cleft lip may leave a small pink scar above the lips. A cleft palate is an opening or split in the roof of the mouth that occurs when the tissue doesn't fuse together during development in the womb. A cleft palate often includes a split cleft in the upper lip cleft lip but can occur without affecting the lip.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are openings or splits in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth palate or both. Cleft lip and cleft palate result when facial structures that are developing in an unborn baby don't close completely. Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects.

They most commonly occur as isolated birth defects but are also associated with many inherited genetic conditions or syndromes. Having a baby born with a cleft can be upsetting, but cleft lip and cleft palate can be corrected. In most babies, a series of surgeries can restore normal function and achieve a more normal appearance with minimal scarring.

Usually, a split cleft in the lip or palate is immediately identifiable at birth. Cleft lip and cleft palate may appear as:. Less commonly, a cleft occurs only in the muscles of the soft palate submucous cleft palate , which are at the back of the mouth and covered by the mouth's lining. This type of cleft often goes unnoticed at birth and may not be diagnosed until later when signs develop. Signs and symptoms of submucous cleft palate may include:.

A cleft lip and cleft palate are usually noticed at birth, and your doctor may start coordinating care at that time. If your baby has signs and symptoms of a submucous cleft palate, make an appointment with your child's doctor. Cleft lip and cleft palate occur when tissues in the baby's face and mouth don't fuse properly.

Normally, the tissues that make up the lip and palate fuse together in the second and third months of pregnancy. American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. Get expert tips and resources from March of Dimes and CDC to increase your chance of having a healthy, fully-term pregnancy and baby. March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every family can have the best possible start.

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What Is a Cleft Palate? The opening can: just be in the back of the palate the soft palate or extend into the front of the palate behind the gums the hard palate Sometimes the opening in the palate can connect with an opening in the gums and the lip cleft lip and palate. A baby with a cleft might have: only a cleft palate only a cleft lip both a cleft lip and a cleft palate. What Causes Cleft Palate? How Is a Cleft Palate Treated? The goals of palatoplasty are to: Close the opening between the nose and mouth.

Help create a palate that works well for speech. Prevent food and liquid from leaking out of the nose. In this surgery, a plastic surgeon will: Close the cleft in layers. Rearrange and repair the muscles of the soft palate so they work better during speech.