Closing the Cleft and Living Large

Cleft lips and cleft palates are something that most people have seen in their lifetime. For those that don’t know what it is it’s a disfigurement of the lip or both the lip and the palate of a baby’s mouth. The baby is born with a hole in the lip reaching up to the nostril and can also have an opening in the roof of the mouth, also known as the palate. This can be very hard for parents but especially difficult for the babies as it will affect their ability to nurse or bottle feed and eventually speak.

Truly that’s just the beginning of what will come through life if this isn’t fixed. Kids can be exceedingly cruel and growing up with an uncorrected lip can be torturous for the child. Understand that in countries across the globe there are areas where children are ostracized for this and for the families, help is not readily available.

Some children born with birth defects or certain syndromes have been born with cleft lips/palates. While this can happen, there is also research that certain toxins and medicines may also be a cause. Genetics is not the only reason that children are born with this. When you think about the growth cycle of the fetus in the womb, somewhere within 4-10 weeks as the fetus is growing nose, mouth, and head and lips. While it seems rather hard to imagine a child going through such a thing, there is quite a lot of work that is being done to correct this condition.

Cleft palate surgery can include dental work as the hole usually affects the teeth and gums. This is no doubt this is a lot for some people especially young children, but the long-term effects are worth it. The ability to eat, smile, use a straw, and simply not be conscientious about it in public would be significant. Any cleft lip surgery nyc is an example of just how far this has come. The ability to connect the tissues and sew the lip properly will help sufferers go onto to live a much different life.

While cleft palate surgery and cleft lip surgery varies dependent on the case. For just the cleft lip surgery the doctor trims the skin in order to make a clean connection of the tissues. While this surgery is usually done on infants because children are quick healers, and this can really help with the psychological side. That child will not know any other way of being. Teaching children to not only be kind but to have compassion is probably the most important step for every parent. Parents with children who have cleft palates or cleft lips need to know they are just like everyone else. Some people with cleft lips and palates can come from countries where this type of correction surgery was unavailable. It’s important to realize this is not just children that this affects.