Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth abnormalities of the mouth and lip that affect almost 6,800 babies in the United States every year. They occur early in pregnancy when the sides of the lip along with the roof of the mouth don’t fuse. Both conditions are treatable and most children can undergo surgery to repair them in the first or second year of life. Here are the effects of cleft lip and palate on the patient’s life.
Feeding problems
While babies with a cleft lip usually don’t have feeding issues, those with a cleft palate can run into these problems. A cleft palate causes the baby to swallow a lot of air as well as regurgitate food into the nose.
Dental issues
These can include missing teeth, small teeth, extra teeth, or out-of-position teeth. There can also be a defect involving the gums or alveolar ridge, which is the bone supporting the teeth. A dentist can check the growth and development of the child’s mouth and identify any problems for early intervention.
Speech difficulties
Kids with clefts can have a hypernasal voice and other types of speech problems, such as some distorted sounds rooted in dental problems. Speech language pathologists can help in this case and check the speech and language skills that could get the patient behind on developmental milestones.
Poor self-esteem or sense of self
Child patients may face teasing and bullying because of their appearance and the accompanying speech or dental problems. Some struggle growing up and might need help handling certain situations in school or their social life. Psychologists and social workers are part of treatment teams to help guide patients through difficult times.
Tup Ingram, M.D. is a reconstructive and plastic surgeon, with his practice focusing on reconstruction and cosmetic surgery, with the exception of craniofacial surgery. Learn more on this page.
Tup Ingram 