Written by Lauren Murphy, SIU School of Medicine
It’s the most common birth defect in the country, and it often requires several different types of services. According to the Cleft Palate Foundation, approximately one out of every 594 newborns in the U.S. is born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate each year. SIU School of Medicine physicians work closely with an entire team of specialists, including surgeons, geneticists, audiologists, speech therapists and pediatric dental and orthodontic professionals, to help these babies.
Learning your child has a cleft lip or palate can be scary for parents. It’s important for parents to know that cleft lips and palates are temporary and correctable.
What is a cleft palate and a cleft lip?
A cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth, and a cleft lip is an opening in the lip. Both result from incomplete development of the lip or palate while the baby is still in the womb. During the first three months of pregnancy, the baby’s lips and palates develop separately, and in most cases, the left and right parts of the lips and palates will eventually come together to create a normal upper lip and palate.
About half of children with clefts have clefts that involve the lip and palate. Another 25% have clefts that involve only the lip, and the remaining 25% have clefts that only affect the palate.
Why didn’t our baby’s mouth fully develop?
While we don’t know the complete answer to this question, it’s important for parents to know that it did not occur because of something you did wrong. Clefts can sometimes run in families, and other times, clefts occur in combination with other health problems.
What can health professionals do to help our baby? What can we do as parents to help our child?
The great news is that our team of specialists can usually repair a cleft lip in the first few months of life. Often, we can repair a cleft palate between 9-18 months, but the exact timing of these repairs will depend on the baby’s health and how it will affect the baby’s future development.
In addition to a pediatric plastic surgeon, your baby may need a speech pathologist and a dental professional. Your surgeons will work closely with geneticists, audiologists and orthodontists.
As parents, it’s important that you treat your child as you would any other: Talk to your baby and expose him or her to good language.
Will a cleft lip/cleft palate affect our baby’s ability to eat?
It depends – some babies have few or no problems feeding, while others may have more difficulty. Babies with cleft palates may need a modified feeding technique, such as a different type of bottle or nipple or different positioning. Breastfeeding a baby with a cleft palate can also be much more challenging as babies have a hard time creating enough suction to effectively breastfeed.
Will our child have added difficulty learning to speak?
If the cleft affects only the lip, it’s unlikely your baby will experience any speech problems. However, many children with a cleft palate may the need the help of a speech pathologist or additional surgeries. Our goal is to help your baby develop normal speech as soon as possible.
Copyright © SIU School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois