What is the best age to repair a cleft lip?

What is the best age to repair a cleft lip?

The cleft lip usually is corrected early in a child’s life, between 3 to 6 months of age, but sometimes later. Cleft lip surgery will correct the cleft and usually will leave minimal scarring.

Can a baby survive cleft lip?

Nine In 10 Babies Born With A Cleft Condition Could Die Without Corrective Surgery. WASHINGTON – One of the most common birth defects throughout the world is a cleft lip. Babies born with a cleft lip may also have a cleft palate, where the roof of the mouth is split. These birth defects can be repaired surgically.

What age is cleft palate surgery?

Cleft palate repairs are usually done between the ages of 9 to 18 months, but before the age of 2. This is a more complicated surgery and is done when the baby is bigger and better able to tolerate the surgery. The exact timing of the surgery will be decided by your child’s physician.

What happens when a baby is born with a cleft palate?

Babies with cleft palate are especially at risk of developing middle ear fluid and hearing loss. Dental problems. If the cleft extends through the upper gum, tooth development may be affected. Speech difficulties.

What is the most common cause of cleft palate?

Cleft lip and cleft palate are thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other factors, such as things the mother comes in contact with in her environment, or what the mother eats or drinks, or certain medications she uses during pregnancy.

How do they fix cleft palate?

A cleft palate usually is repaired with surgery called palatoplasty (PAL-eh-tuh-plass-tee) when the baby is 10–12 months old. The goals of palatoplasty are to: Close the opening between the nose and mouth. Help create a palate that works well for speech.

Is cleft palate serious?

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.