The initial thought of most parents upon seeing their newborn baby with a cleft lip or cleft palate is for cosmetic concern. However, experts want these individuals to recognize that these issues aren’t purely cosmetic in nature. Over time, the child can develop very serious feeding, speech, and even hearing problems.
Patients of cleft palate should have a close relationship with an Otolaryngologist (or an ear-nose-throat doctor). A team will likely be assembled as the child grows to also include dentists, cardiologists, ophthalmologists, neurosurgeons, endocrinologists, and more specialists, depending on the severity of the birth defect.
The condition is not uncommon, and these specialists are well equipped to deal with the issues specifically related to cleft palate, which affects one in six hundred newborns. In some cases, it is a mere notch in the upper lip, but in others, the issue is much larger and directly impacts the roof of the mouth.
Of course, the primary concern for specialists at the time of birth and as the patient ages is to ensure that there is a proper and uninterrupted airway. In many cases that airway can be restricted when the person rests, leading to sleep apnea. Treatment is essential as sleep apnea has been tied to an increased risk of stroke.
Patients with a cleft palate are more susceptible to sinusitis, laryngitis, and rhinitis. As mentioned above, hearing loss can become a major point of concern and would be progressive, gaining severity as the patient grew. Fortunately, there are many available surgeries today that can be used to successfully correct the birth defect. However, because of the breathing problems commonly seen in the patients, anesthesiologists must be extra careful to defend against complications during the operations.
Continue reading for more information on cleft lip and cleft palate.
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