Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
...n A, Dilantin (a medicine taken for seizures), German Measels, Thalidomide (tha-lid-o-mid), a drug taking during pregnancy that causes malformation of the fetus, and Aminopterin, a folic acid used in treating leukemia. Increased parental age is also associated with cleft formations. Basically, the human face is formed when three plates all move toward the center during gestation. If they fuse normally, the place where they join forms the philitrim lines. A cleft occurs when one of the many factors interrupts the normal development of the face. The palate is hard and boney from the gums to just past mid-point where the boney ridge gives way to soft tissue, which is known as the soft palate (the spot where they fused can be felt if you run your tongue along the middle of the hard palate).There are 3 types of cleft lips that can occur: a unilateral cleft lip, where one side fails to fuse; a bilateral cleft lip, where both sides fail to fuse; and a complete cleft lip, where the lip is separated all the way up and through the floor of the nostril and the gum. Isolated cleft lip as well as cleft lip and palate are more common in males. Isolated cleft palate in associated more with females. Although not commonly looked for, cleft lip and palate can be detected through ultrasound. A craniofacial disorder can be detected by US around the 15th week of the pregnancy. If a cleft palate or lip is detected, the mother is usually advised to have an amniocentesis done to rule out an associated chromosome disorder. There are more then 300 syndromes associated with cleft lip and/or palate. An early diagnosis allows for the doctors to explain to the parents the infant’s rehabilitative process and care needs, as well as offer the family support, information, and understanding...