Question 1

please help me? what is a cleft palate?

Accepted Answer

Roof of mouth hole: When you are being formed in your mom, lots of parts start out separated and grow together.  Your palate is one of these structures.  Rarely, the two sides of the palate don't grow together and yoju are left with a cleft, a hole, there.

Question 2

is there funding for cleft palate repairs?

Accepted Answer

Depends on the state: Most states require funding for repair of birth defects such as cleft palate, but not all do.  Many cleft centers will provide this surgery for free if necessary (our team does).

Question 3

can you tell me the symptoms of cleft palate?

Accepted Answer

Physical exam: Cleft palate is a failure of fusion of the midline palate during fetal development. It can be readily diagnosed on physical exam by a doctor at any time, but is most often noted on initial exam by the OB at the time of birth.

Question 4

how much should a baby with a cleft palate eat?

Accepted Answer

Enough to gain wt: The caloric requirements for children with cleft lip/palate are the same as they are for children without clefts.  The problem is that without special bottles, they will work so hard to eat that they will burn more calories eating than they take in.  This makes weight gain critical to follow in these children.  An occupational therapist &/or nutritionist with your cleft team can help with this.

Question 5

how does the procedure to fix a cleft palate work?

Accepted Answer

Carefully: The goal of cleft palate surgery is to 1) re-orient the muscles of the soft palate to allow for normal speech development and 2) close the cleft itself.  
There are a number of different techniques to accomplish these goals, and your child's surgeon should be able to explain them to you before surgery.

Question 6

please describe the medical term for a cleft palate?

Accepted Answer

Coloboma: I've not heard "cleft" being used in reference to the eye, but when used in reference to the lip or palate, for instance, it refers to incomplete developmental closure of the tissue. In the eye, that is called coloboma. There are different degrees from iris only to involvement of the retina and optic nerve. The latter can be associated with severe vision deficit.

Question 7

what is the definition or description of: cleft palate?

Accepted Answer

Incomplete fusion : Cleft lip (cheiloschisis) and cleft palate (palatoschisis), which can also occur together as cleft lip and palate, are variations of a type of clefting congenital deformity caused by abnormal facial development during gestation. A cleft is a fissure or opening—a gap. It is the non-fusion of the body's natural structures that form before birth. Approximately 1 in 700 children born have a cleft lip.

Question 8

why is it difficult to feed a baby with a cleft palate?

Accepted Answer

No good suck: A baby with a cleft lip & palate can't generate the suction to nipple or breast feed, so without special bottle feeding and help from the parents, they burn more calories eating than they get from their milk/formula.  An occupational therapist or nutritionist that works with your child's cleft surgeon & pediatrician should work with you to ensure your child is gaining weight appropriately.

Question 9

who discovered cleft palate and where was it discovered?

Accepted Answer

Ancient diagnosis: No one is credited for discovering cleft lip and palate.  There are paintings and sculptures from pre-historic times that show people with cleft lip and palate.

Question 10

what are the chances of having a second cleft palate child?

Accepted Answer

~4%: The cited recurrence for a couple with one kid with cleft palate is 4%. Of interest , any pregnancy has ~4% risk of some unexpected outcome (inclusive of such things as prematurity, cp, etc.) this must be added to the specific risk. A counseling session with a geneticist may uncover other risks for a couple and or remove some existing fears.

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Doctor answers about:

Cleft palate signs

A member asked:

Please help me? what is a cleft palate?

A member asked:

Is there funding for cleft palate repairs?

A member asked:

Can you tell me the symptoms of cleft palate?

A member asked:

How much should a baby with a cleft palate eat?

A member asked:

How does the procedure to fix a cleft palate work?

A member asked:

Please describe the medical term for a cleft palate?

A member asked:

What is the definition or description of: cleft palate?

A member asked:

Why is it difficult to feed a baby with a cleft palate?

A member asked:

Who discovered cleft palate and where was it discovered?

A member asked:

What are the chances of having a second cleft palate child?

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