This is so your baby can't put any fingers or hard objects into the mouth, which could make the cleft palate repair come open. Cleft palate surgery has greatly improved in recent years. Most kids who undergo it have very good results. There are risks with any surgery, though, so call the doctor if your child:.
It's important to work with a care team experienced in treating children with cleft lip and palate. Besides the pediatrician, a child's treatment team will include:.
Most kids with cleft palate are treated successfully with no lasting problems. A team experienced in treating children with cleft lip and palate can create a treatment plan tailored to your child's needs. The psychologists and social workers on the treatment team are there for you and your child. So turn to them to help guide you through any hard times.
You also can find more information and support online:. Reviewed by: Brian C. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is a Cleft Palate? The opening can: just be in the back of the palate the soft palate or extend into the front of the palate behind the gums the hard palate Sometimes the opening in the palate can connect with an opening in the gums and the lip cleft lip and palate.
A baby with a cleft might have: only a cleft palate only a cleft lip both a cleft lip and a cleft palate. What Causes Cleft Palate? A cleft palate happens if the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during pregnancy. For some babies, both the front and back parts of the palate are open. For other babies, only part of the palate is open. Children with a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate or a cleft palate alone often have problems with feeding and speaking clearly and can have ear infections.
They also might have hearing problems and problems with their teeth. Joshua was born with cleft lip and palate. Read his story as well as other stories from families affected by cleft lip and palate. The causes of orofacial clefts among most infants are unknown. Some children have a cleft lip or cleft palate because of changes in their genes.
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. Like the many families of children with birth defects, CDC wants to find out what causes them.
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.
This is when lots of different symptoms happen together. One of these symptoms can be a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. There are over conditions and syndromes for which a cleft lip or palate can be a symptom. Genetic counsellors are health professionals qualified in both counselling and genetics. Genetic counsellors are trained provide information and support that is sensitive to your family circumstances, culture and beliefs.
If a genetic condition runs in your family, a genetic counsellor can explain what genetic testing options are available to you and other family members. You may choose to visit a genetic counsellor if you are planning a family, to find out your risk of passing that condition on to your child, or to arrange for prenatal tests. Victorian Clinical Genetics Services VCGS provides genetic consultation, counselling, testing and diagnostic services for children, adults, families, and prospective parents.
The Genetic Support Network of Victoria GSNV is connected with a wide range of support groups throughout Victoria and Australia and can connect you with other individuals and families affected by genetic conditions associated with cleft lip or cleft palate or both. Babies born with a cleft lip alone are usually able to feed well.
But babies with a cleft palate often have difficulty with creating enough suction during feeding to draw milk from the breast or a regular bottle. They tend to need bottles and teats specially designed for babies with cleft palate. If your baby is not able to feed directly from the breast, you can still feed your baby your expressed breastmilk. Talk to a midwife, lactation consultant, maternal and child health nurse, paediatrician or paediatric speech therapist with experience working with babies with cleft lip and cleft palate about how you can do this.
Breastmilk protects your baby against infections and other common health problems. Breastmilk is beneficial for all babies, but it is particularly beneficial for babies with a cleft palate because:.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association provides information on the benefits of breast milk for babies with a cleft palate, and helpful information on managing feeding. Babies born with a cleft lip alone usually breastfeed or bottle-feed well.
Some babies breastfeed better with the cleft facing upwards. The breast tissue usually fills the gap caused by the cleft and allows efficient feeding. Your hospital health care team will give you a referral to a lactation consultant and a paediatric speech pathologist to provide support regarding positioning and maximising feeding efficiency.
Babies with a cleft palate usually have difficulty creating enough suction to draw milk from the breast or bottle. This is because air leaks from their nose to their mouth. The degree of difficulty depends on the location and severity of the cleft palate. If a baby has a cleft lip and a cleft palate they may not be able to compress the breast or teat well enough to push milk from the breast or bottle. Babies with cleft palates usually require special bottles and teats to be able to feed well.
It is important to get help to find what works best for you and your baby. Help is available through lactation consultants, hospital midwives, maternal and child health nurses. They can:. Your hospital health care team will give you a referral to a paediatrician and paediatric speech pathologist for further support and review. A number of bottles are available for babies with cleft lip and cleft palate , including:. In most cases a baby with a cleft lip and palate can be fully bottle fed.
In some rare cases, if the baby is unable to feed successfully using a bottle, they may require a short-term naso-gastric tube for feeding. This is a tube that passes from the nose into the stomach.
If tube feeding is necessary for your baby, your hospital team will help you. If you need to continue tube feeding your baby once you leave hospital, your hospital health care team will help get you established with the appropriate support network — such as registering you for a home enteral nutrition HEN program. Read more about feeding a baby with a cleft lip or palate.
This is also known as a cleft clinic or cleft team. Your baby will be referred to a cleft team at birth or soon after. Referrals to a cleft team may be provided by your GP, ultrasound specialist, obstetrician or maternity team. A cleft lip can be treated with lip repair surgery.
This usually happens when the baby is around three to six months of age. Often, an altered nose is associated with a cleft lip. Cleft lip repair involves reconstructing the shape of the lip and the nose and joining the tissues that were not joined before birth. When having cleft lip repair surgery your baby will be placed under general anaesthetic. This means they will be asleep during the surgery. Read more about cleft lip repair surgery.
Cleft palates have to be surgically repaired before the baby is ready to speak, usually between nine months and one year.
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