What is the difference between harelip and cleft lip

Understanding the factors that are more common among babies with a birth defect will help us learn more about the causes. Recently, CDC reported on important findings from research studies about some factors that increase the chance of having a baby with an orofacial cleft:. CDC continues to study birth defects, such as cleft lip and cleft palate, and how to prevent them.

If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor about ways to increase your chances of having a healthy baby. Orofacial clefts, especially cleft lip with or without cleft palate, can be diagnosed during pregnancy by a routine ultrasound.

They can also be diagnosed after the baby is born, especially cleft palate. However, sometimes certain types of cleft palate for example, submucous cleft palate and bifid uvula might not be diagnosed until later in life. Surgery to repair a cleft lip usually occurs in the first few months of life and is recommended within the first 12 months of life.

Surgery to repair a cleft palate is recommended within the first 18 months of life or earlier if possible. Children born with orofacial clefts might need other types of treatments and services, such as special dental or orthodontic care or speech therapy. With treatment, most children with orofacial clefts do well and lead a healthy life.

Some children with orofacial clefts may have issues with self-esteem if they are concerned with visible differences between themselves and other children. Parent-to-parent support groups can prove to be useful for families of babies with birth defects of the head and face, such as orofacial clefts.

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Birth Defects. There is no one specific cause for clefts, however most cases are said to be of multifactorial inheritance.

This indicates it is due to both genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Clefting is a congenital malformation, meaning it is present at the time of birth. Congenital malformations are the result of disruptions during the embryonic growth process, which consists of the first weeks of gestation.

Genetic abnormalities Chromosomal abnormalities Recessive genetic inheritance in some syndromes such as orofacial-digital syndrome Autosomal dominant inheritance in some syndromes e.

Treacher Collins syndrome, Apert syndrome Environmental factors Fetal alcohol syndrome Drug use Smoking while pregnant Some prescription drug side effects Positive family history How is a cleft lip or cleft palate related to speech and language disorders? Speech Sound Disorders : can become a significant problem if the palatal cleft is not repaired early on or the repair was not effective. Obligatory errors — Exist due to structural abnormalities such as dental deviations or hypernasality These are not likely to improve unless there is a structural repair such as surgery.

Compensatory errors — learned articulation errors that can develop based on the way the child learned to produce speech sounds before a structural repair. That is, the child continues to produce sounds with incorrect placement even after a structural repair that allows for the correct placement is made. Access your subscriptions. Free access to newly published articles. Purchase access. Rent article Rent this article from DeepDyve. Access to free article PDF downloads.

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