A cleft palate and harelip are two birth defects that can occur together. A cleft palate affects the roof of the mouth, leaving an opening in the palate. Patients with a harelip have a gap in the lip. The Merriam-Webster dictionary notes that "harelip" is considered sometimes offensive, with cleft lip being the preferable term.
Statistics
The Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford explains that in the United States each year, one in 700 babies have a cleft palate and cleft lip, making it the fourth most common birth defect in the country. MedlinePlus adds that one in 2,500 children born each year have just a cleft palate.
Types
KidsHealth from Nemours points out that three types of cleft exist. Some children have just a cleft palate with no damage to the lip tissue. Other children have just a cleft lip, with the gap stopping at the lip. Patients can have both a cleft palate and cleft lip, in which the gap in the lip and palate join together.
Identification
Doctors classify a cleft palate, cleft lip or both as unilateral or bilateral. For example, KidsHealth from Nemours explains that a child with an unilateral cleft lip has a gap in the tissue that can extend from either his left or right lip up to his nostril. Some cleft lips may be just a small gap on the lip that does not go up to the nostril. If a child has an unilateral cleft palate, the gap occurs on either the left or right side of the roof of the mouth. MedlinePlus notes that a cleft palate may affect the entire length of the palate. With an unilateral cleft lip and palate, the gap extends from the left or right nostril through the roof of the mouth. Bilateral cleft lips, cleft palates or both affect both the left and right side of the face.
Treatment
Treatment for a cleft palate and cleft lip involves surgery and therapy. With the surgery, the doctor reconstructs the lip and cleft to help with appearance and normal function. The MayoClinic.com notes that the first surgery is to repair the cleft lip, which occurs between 10 weeks and 3 months of age. With this surgery, the doctor makes an incision on both sides of the gap to create flaps, which she stitches together. The next surgery, the cleft palate repair, occurs between ages 6 to 18 months. This surgery also involves stitching together the cleft, but the doctor may need to use transplanted tissue to cover the palate. Between age 2 and the teenage years, patients undergo follow-up surgeries, such as fixing the teethridge or appearance. The therapies for cleft palate and cleft lip help patients with certain issues that arise from the birth defect, such as speech and hearing problems. Patients may also benefit from psychological therapy.
Complications
A cleft palate and cleft lip can result in some complications. For example, patients can have speech difficulties and lip deformities. If the cleft palate affects the teethridge, patients may have displaced teeth and dental cavities, according to MedlinePlus. Other complications include nasal deformities and recurrent ear infections.
Prevention
Mothers can take certain precautions to lower their unborn child's risk of a cleft palate and cleft lip. For example, the MayoClinic.com recommends that mothers abstain from using alcohol and tobacco, which can increase the risk. Expecting mothers can also take prenatal vitamins. If a family history of clefts exist, genetic counseling is an option.
