What is Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate?
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a child’s lip or palate do not form correctly during pregnancy.
Together, these birth defects are often referred to as "orofacial clefts."
Cleft Lip Vs. Cleft Palate
Cleft Lip: How it's formed:
The lip forms between the fourth and seventh weeks of pregnancy. Cells and tissue from the body and head grow towards each other to form facial features, including the lips, mouth, nose, and upper jaw.
If the tissue that forms the lips does not completely fuse during this time, a cleft lip is formed, and there will be an opening in the upper lip.
Cleft Lip:
What it looks like:
The opening can be small, or it can be a large slit that reaches the …show more content…
Incomplete cleft palate: A cleft in the back of the mouth in the soft palate.
Types of Cleft Palate:
2. Complete cleft palate: A cleft affecting the hard and soft parts of the palate. The mouth and nose cavities are exposed to each other.
Types of Cleft Palate:
3. Submucous cleft palate: A cleft involving the hard and/or soft palate, covered by the mucous membrane lining the roof of the mouth. May be difficult to visualize.
Causes of a cleft lip or palate:
The cause of orofacial clefts is unknown. However, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have conducted studies and have found factors that contribute to cleft lip and palate:
1. Women who smoke, drink, or use drugs during pregnancy have a higher chance of having babies with an orofacial cleft.
2. Women who were diagnosed with diabetes before pregnancy had an increased chance in giving birth to babies with an orofacial cleft.
3. Medicines used to treat epilepsy, such as topiramate or valproic acid, in the first trimester led to a higher chance of a child having an orofacial cleft.
Causes of a cleft lip or palate:
Other factors that can lead to a cleft lip or palate …show more content…
Genetics may be responsible for orofacial defects. Parents can pass on genes that will cause a cleft lip or a cleft palate. Babies can potentially inherit a gene that increases their chances in developing a cleft lip or palate. The gene can then be triggered by the baby’s environment, which can lead to the formation of a cleft.
Causes of a cleft lip or palate: Race can play a role in the chances of developing an orofacial defect. Native Americans have been found to be most affected by cleft lip and palate; whereas African-Americans are least affected by these defects. Gender can be indicative of the likelihood of a cleft. The chances for a male to have a cleft lip, with or without a cleft palate, is twice as much as the chance for a female to. While, it is more common for females to have a cleft palate without a cleft lip.
Diagnosis:
A Cleft Lip and a Cleft Palate can usually be diagnosed by a regular ultrasound during pregnancy.
A Cleft lip and a cleft palate can generally be diagnosed after birth. There are some clefts that cannot be diagnosed until later in life (like a submucous cleft palate).
Problems caused by Cleft Lip and
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a child’s lip or palate do not form correctly during pregnancy.
Together, these birth defects are often referred to as "orofacial clefts."
Cleft Lip Vs. Cleft Palate
Cleft Lip: How it's formed:
The lip forms between the fourth and seventh weeks of pregnancy. Cells and tissue from the body and head grow towards each other to form facial features, including the lips, mouth, nose, and upper jaw.
If the tissue that forms the lips does not completely fuse during this time, a cleft lip is formed, and there will be an opening in the upper lip.
Cleft Lip:
What it looks like:
The opening can be small, or it can be a large slit that reaches the …show more content…
Incomplete cleft palate: A cleft in the back of the mouth in the soft palate.
Types of Cleft Palate:
2. Complete cleft palate: A cleft affecting the hard and soft parts of the palate. The mouth and nose cavities are exposed to each other.
Types of Cleft Palate:
3. Submucous cleft palate: A cleft involving the hard and/or soft palate, covered by the mucous membrane lining the roof of the mouth. May be difficult to visualize.
Causes of a cleft lip or palate:
The cause of orofacial clefts is unknown. However, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have conducted studies and have found factors that contribute to cleft lip and palate:
1. Women who smoke, drink, or use drugs during pregnancy have a higher chance of having babies with an orofacial cleft.
2. Women who were diagnosed with diabetes before pregnancy had an increased chance in giving birth to babies with an orofacial cleft.
3. Medicines used to treat epilepsy, such as topiramate or valproic acid, in the first trimester led to a higher chance of a child having an orofacial cleft.
Causes of a cleft lip or palate:
Other factors that can lead to a cleft lip or palate …show more content…
Genetics may be responsible for orofacial defects. Parents can pass on genes that will cause a cleft lip or a cleft palate. Babies can potentially inherit a gene that increases their chances in developing a cleft lip or palate. The gene can then be triggered by the baby’s environment, which can lead to the formation of a cleft.
Causes of a cleft lip or palate: Race can play a role in the chances of developing an orofacial defect. Native Americans have been found to be most affected by cleft lip and palate; whereas African-Americans are least affected by these defects. Gender can be indicative of the likelihood of a cleft. The chances for a male to have a cleft lip, with or without a cleft palate, is twice as much as the chance for a female to. While, it is more common for females to have a cleft palate without a cleft lip.
Diagnosis:
A Cleft Lip and a Cleft Palate can usually be diagnosed by a regular ultrasound during pregnancy.
A Cleft lip and a cleft palate can generally be diagnosed after birth. There are some clefts that cannot be diagnosed until later in life (like a submucous cleft palate).
Problems caused by Cleft Lip and