Question 1

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 2

what is a cleft palate?

Accepted Answer

Birth defect: Cleft palate is a birth defect that affects the roof of the mouth. It is present in 1 out of 2500 people.

Question 3

what causes a cleft palate?

Accepted Answer

Cleft palate: Cleft palate can consist of the hard or soft palate. It develops due to a failure of fusion in facial development during the first trimester. There are a number factors  - both genetic and environmental- that have been associated with these conditions.

Question 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

is cleft palate more common in asians, and why?

Accepted Answer

No: I do not know of anty study to prove that.  The condition is a matter of heredity and genes as far as I am aware.

Question 8

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 9

what is the procedure to fix a cleft palate like?

Accepted Answer

Multiple repairs: Each cleft palate is unique. Your team of specialists will review the very best plan for your baby. Initially, the team will focus on repairing the palate and lip so that your baby can easily feed. Afterwards, future surgeries may be focused on getting the best possible repair. Often several years and some braces are needed before final repairs can be completed.

Question 10

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.

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Doctor answers about:

Medical term for cleft palate

A member asked:

Please describe the medical term for a cleft palate?

A member asked:

What is a cleft palate?

A member asked:

What causes a cleft palate?

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:

Is cleft palate more common in asians, and why?

A member asked:

How much should a baby with a cleft palate eat?

A member asked:

What is the procedure to fix a cleft palate like?

A member asked:

How does the procedure to fix a cleft palate work?

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