Congenital cleft lip and palate

Congenital cleft lip and palate, or simply, cleft lip, is a very common pathology, which ranks second in the number of congenital dental diseases. Treatment of a defect is not an easy task, and the recovery process is not the easiest. But, nevertheless, a positive dynamics of treatment is observed in all the patients who applied.

Where does the disease begin?

Such a defect is formed during pregnancy in the womb. With the help of an ultrasound sensor, pathology can be noticed at 15-16 weeks of fetal development. It is easy to visually notice the signs of the disease with the naked eye immediately after birth. Depending on the degree of the disease, the external signs in patients also differ.

The cleft may be:

• One-sided;
• Bilateral.

With the mildest degree, visual signs are not very noticeable, in more difficult ones, the defect is clearly noticeable (a deep gap is visible from the nose to the lip). In this case, in the gap, you can easily see the cavity of the nose itself and the teeth.

Causes of pathology

It is difficult to unambiguously answer this question. The development of the deviation is influenced by one or several factors that had an impact in the first trimester of a woman's pregnancy. These are: past infectious diseases, exposure to chemicals, physical trauma, bad habits (smoking, alcohol or drugs), heredity, age (in women over 40, the fetus is more likely to develop cleft lip).

Classification

Depending on the manifestation of symptoms, the disease is divided into appropriate classes.

Unilateral cleft can be:

1. Full. Then the furrow separates the lip completely.
2. Incomplete. Part of the tissue is not damaged.
3. Hidden. It affects only the muscles, visually practically does not manifest itself.

Bilateral cleft can be symmetrical, full or partial on both sides. Asymmetric has a different manifestation, when on the one hand it is full, and on the other, partial or, for example, hidden.

Associated features

Often the disease is accompanied by splitting of the alveolar process, which is visualized depending on the complexity of the case. Newborn infants with cleft lip or cleft lip are immediately distinguished by impaired suckling at the breast. This is easily explained by the insufficient tightness of closed lips. Babies, in this case, are completely transferred to artificial feeding. The most affected are children who have not only a cleft lip, but also the palate.

Diagnostics

Due to the large number of symptoms, it is difficult for even experienced specialists to immediately accurately diagnose a type of cleft. For this, diagnostic equipment will be used, for example, an X-ray machine and an ultrasound examination.

Prevention

Since the disease is formed during pregnancy, there are not so many methods of prevention. This necessarily includes the observance of the correct lifestyle, which implies the rejection of all bad habits, even if they seem harmless to the expectant mother.

It is advisable to observe proper nutrition, choose products containing the maximum amount of useful trace elements and minerals. The diet must be balanced. It is recommended to visit the ultrasound diagnostic room, so you can identify the defect even at the time of development, and draw up a plan for further actions to eliminate the defect. It is better to be prepared for such troubles in advance, because no one is insured.

Treatment

Therapy is carried out surgically. The duration of the surgical intervention and the complexity of the operation depend on the type of cleft. In most cases, it is difficult to get by with one procedure; it will take from 2 to 4-5. Since the medical term for congenital cleft lip and palate is cheiloschisis, the operation is called cheiloplasty. During the intervention, the surgeon eliminates all possible defects, for example:

• restores the round muscle of the mouth;
• removes visual defects;
• corrects the curvature of the cartilaginous septum of the nose.

With a bilateral cleft, protrusion of the premaxillary bone is often observed. This greatly complicates the treatment, and the adaptation period takes longer. Such babies are made fixing tight bandages almost from birth, which prevents further protrusion of the bone and the development of a more advanced form of cheiloschisis. Then the operation is prescribed earlier, it can be carried out already from 4 months. The first intervention concerns the upper lip, with a good development of the central part, which, from the first operation, the surgeon can completely restore the round muscle of the mouth. In this case, the resulting scars heal faster and are less noticeable.

If the protrusion exceeds one centimeter, then the operation is prescribed as soon as possible. A full recovery will take a lot of time, sometimes more than a year, and there are several stages of surgical intervention.

Rhinoplasty will help correct:

• elongation of the skin part on the septum
• deformity of the nose

All these procedures are recommended by surgeons after 4 years. It is at this age that you can get the best result. To complete the treatment, a definitive nose correction will be required. The final operation is best done closer to adulthood, namely at 16-18 years old. Modern technologies and high professionalism of physicians make it possible to get rid of pathology almost without a trace.

Where to carry out treatment?

If financial possibilities allow, it is best to contact a private institution. As a rule, there is the necessary diagnostic equipment and a highly qualified team is selected. In addition, due to the smaller influx of patients, business in a private clinic is moving much faster. Each child is guaranteed an individual approach.

All procedures are performed using anesthetics under the supervision of several specialists at once. Practice has proven the possibility of a complete cure. Therefore, do not despair, it is better to take the necessary measures immediately!