During the 42 weeks of pregnancy as each week goes by the baby’s facial features begin to develop. In between the 6th and the 11th week of pregnancy the baby’s lip and palate are starting to form together. Child who are born with clefts in the lip and the palate, this simply doesn’t happen. The reason could be anything from hereditary genetics, environmental reasons or something like drugs or alcohol. The chances of the child having a cleft lip are about 1 in 700 and in most cases babies who have a cleft lip may also have the cleft palate.
Parents will have many questions regarding clefts so we have designed a list of some of the most commonly and most importantly asked questions. When my son Aidan was born with the cleft lip and palate, I had many questions and I found a lot of answers through the doctors and nurses who took care of him while he was in the hospital. We hope this article will ease your mind.
How is Clefts Diagnosed?
Back about 20 years ago, the only way to find out if a baby was born with a cleft was after they were born. But today, new moms to be find out if their baby will be born with the cleft lip or cleft palate through their sonograms. Doctors can now tell you about 4 months into the pregnancy whether or not your baby will have a cleft lip and or palate.
Most new moms do not think to ask their doctors about the risks of having a baby with a cleft. Some new moms ask every question they can think of and others if there is no family history then they don’t ask at all. It is important to ask a lot of questions, as your doctor will cover a lot of ground with you as your pregnancy progresses.
How many different types of Clefts are there?
Not all children are born with the same type of Cleft. Some children are born with a Unilateral Cleft, which is when the cleft occurs only on one side of the lip or palate. The Bilateral is when the cleft occurs on both sides of the mouth. Then there is something called the Complete Cleft, this happens when the cleft goes all the way through the lip and the mouth into the nasal area. The Incomplete Cleft is when the cleft does not reach the nasal area.
There are some not so severe clefts called the Microform Cleft this cleft is a small notch or space. The statistics behind the cleft lip and palate are that they are more common in boys than girls and the lip and palate clefts are more common in Asian children and you won’t find too many clefts in Afro American children.
What are the Complications of Cleft Lip and Palates?
Besides have a hole in their lips and palate there are other complications due to the clefts. One of these and perhaps the most important complication is breathing. This is not life threatening but it can cause problems. Another complication and the most obvious is feeding. If your baby was born with a cleft lip and or palate, feeding will have top be done with special feeder bottles called Haberman Feeders.
Some of the other complications that occur from having a cleft lip and palate are speech and language delays, dental problems and even ear infections and in some cases hearing loss. Your doctor from your Craniofacial Team will set up hearing tests to determine if your child has in fact suffered a hearing loss. You will have a good idea because when your baby is born the hospital performs hearing tests they are part of the Apgar Testing Systems.
Every child born with a cleft may experience something different, some kids suffer ear infections and others don’t. While hearing other moms with cleft palate or cleft lip babies talk about their experiences it doesn’t necessarily mean you child will go through the same thing.
How is the Cleft Treated?
The only way to completely treat the cleft lip and palate is through surgery. The cleft lip will be repaired between 4 months and 6 months and the palate is repaired between the 9th and 14th week. Each child is different when it comes to surgery, some kids will have it when they are approaching 4 months and others wait until the 6th month.
Often times surgery is done only once but some surgeons may find it necessary to do a touch up before children start school. Having a surgeon you trust is key. My son Aidan’s surgeon, Dr.Alexander Dagum came highly recommended and we were lucky to have him. Once your child has the surgery they will continue to have appointments with the Craniofacial Team of Speech, Hearing and Dental Specialists.
As we have profiled Clefts are a birth defect but it one that can be repaired and believe it or not your baby does not feel any pain. You will have to provide a lot of time and patience with feeding because you will need it. We encourage you to ask as many questions as you can and pay close attention to the nurses when they show you how to feed with the special feeders. It may take a few times before you get the hang of it but stay relaxed and don’t panic, your child can pick up on that. You will do fine and soon you will have your own method of feeding down pat.
