What is cleft palate?
Cleft palate, also known as cleft palate, is a congenital deformity of the mouth caused by an anomaly during the first months of fetal development.
It consists of an incomplete development of the palate, which may be open to such a degree that it even extends into the nasal cavity. This open space between the mouth and nose can affect both sides of the palate and, in more severe cases, extend into the throat.
Cleft palate corrective surgery is usually performed before 18 months of age.
What causes cleft palate?
Depending on the case, cleft palate can cause difficulties for the patient if it is not operated in the first months of life:
- Throat and ear infections.
- Speech and language delay.
- Functional difficulties in eating and breathing.
How can it be treated?
Generally, cleft palate corrective surgery is usually performed before 18 months of age to avoid further complications and to restore both the patient’s physical appearance and the development of the mouth and palate.
Surgical treatment is a point of controversy since there are many protocols in use regarding technique and schedules, although there is considerable agreement among most experts in the world that palatal repair should be performed early for the benefit of speech.
The three major goals of cleft palate treatment are to achieve anatomical closure of the defect, voice and jaw growth with normal characteristics. In the same way as in the pathology of the lip.