Background information on these conditions.

Hare lip and Cleft Palate

These are congenital deformity of the lip and palate, present at birth, affecting about 1 in every 850 babies. There is a tendency, for the defect to run in families, with about one third having an affected relative.

* A `hare lip' is a split in the upper lip, producing an appearance similar to that of the upper lip of a hare or rabbit. Such a split would have to be in the midline, but this rarely occurs, as most cases of `cleft lip', as it is usually termed, are actually off centre. More severe cases have a double cleft, one on each side of the midline.

* In most cases the cause of this deformity is not known but to be on the safe side, try to avoid drugs (including tobacco) and medicines during early pregnancy.
* The split may be just a minor notch in the outline of the lip, or extend right up to the nose. Usually this split travels backwards through the upper gum and onto the roof of the mouth (the upper palate).
* Though most deformities of this type are very obvious, minor abnormalities affecting only the palate may not be too obvious, and may only be seen in the roof of the mouth when the baby is crying.
* People with cleft palate may aslo be partially deaf and may have also suffered other birth defects.
* All babies need to be examined for this birth defect, as a cleft palate may not be too obvious if the lips appear normal. However, the problem soon highlights itself, when the baby starts to feed. Difficulty in sucking from the breast and bottle occur. Cleft lip babies can be breast fed, whilst those with cleft palate can be bottle fed using a special teat.
* Using modern plastic surgery techniques, a good cosmetic result can be obtained. The lip is repaired at 3 to 4 months, and the palate is usually repaired at 1 year. The child can then learn to speak normally, but may need some speech therapy.
IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

More like this
Babies and Children
Illnesses
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Treatments
Use this page



Privacy Terms | Advertisers | Legal Disclaimer | Contact
© 2007 TheFamilyGP.com