Cleft palate causes.This is mostly a treatable birth defect that basically happens when the roof of the baby’s mouth ( the palate) doesn’t develop normally during early pregnancy. This then in turn leaves an opening or (cleft) in the palate that may go all the way through to the nasal cavity. A cleft can actually form on any part of the palate, this includes the front part of the roof of the mouth (hard palate) or even the small flap of tissue that hangs down from the soft palate (uvula). It may appear by itself or can also appear along with other birth defects of the face and the skull, one of these defects which is synonomous with cleft palate causes and that would be cleft lip.
Cleft Palate Causes – Common Birth Defects
Cleft palate and cleft lip are probabaly two of the most common birth defects of the head and neck area. And until a cleft palate is treated with surgery, it can cause a whole number of problems, some being; feeding, speech, and hearing.
What The Doctors Say About Cleft Palate
Doctors aren’t really sure what cleft palate causes are. But research shows that your baby is much more likely to have cleft palate causes if you:
- Use certain medicines while you’re pregnant.
- Use alcohol or use illegal drugs while you’re pregnant.
- Smoke while you’re pregnant.
- Are exposed to radiation or infections while you’re pregnant.
- Have a family history of cleft palate causes.
It’s very much a cliche but the emphasis must always be on taking good care of yourself before and during your pregnancy so that your baby has the best chance of being as healthy as possible.
If there is someone in your family that was born with a cleft palate, you may want to think about some kind of genetic counseling. This can possibly help you get a better understanding of your chances of having a child with a cleft palate.
Cleft Palate Causes – What are the symptoms?
Some cleft palate causes are much easier to see when the child is first born. But then even if the cleft palate doesn’t really affect how the baby’s face looks, it can more often than not be seen inside the mouth. The actual location of the cleft is more cause for concern than how it looks. A small cleft in the soft palate area may cause more problems because of its effect on speech rather than a large cleft that is quite easy to see.
Babies with cleft palate causes very often have feeding problems because they find it extremely difficult to suck and swallow normally. But the good news is that this doesn’t always last, especially with treatment.
How is cleft palate causes diagnosed?
A doctor can quite easily diagnose cleft palate by doing a physical exam of the baby’s mouth shortly after birth. Also having a fetal ultrasound can sometimes find cleft palate as early as 14 to 16 weeks into pregnancy. This is especially so if the cleft palate is severe and occurs along with a cleft lip. But an ultrasound doesn’t always find the problem. For this reason doctors don’t always rely on it to diagnose cleft palate condition.
Cleft Palate Causes – How is it treated?
Treatment usually involves a team of health care providers. The type of treatment also very much depends on the severity of the problem.
One of the most common treatments for cleft palate is surgey. For the most part, it’s done when the child is at an age of between 12 months and 18 months old. Before the actual surgery takes place, your baby may need to have treatment for breathing or feeding problems. He or she may also wear a mouth support, such as a dental splint, a soft dental molding insert, or medical adhesive tape.
It is worthwhile noting that each individual patient’s schedule for cleft palate causes is treated on a case-by-case basis and can vary per hospital, but with the proper treatment can more often than not be rectified allowing the patient to live a full and normal life.
This site is dedicated to information regarding cleft palate causes and will regularly updated with relevant information. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact us here cleft palate causes.