Cleft Lip and Palate

By: Allison Spadaro

Student majoring in Communication Disorders

at Marshall University
*Please click on your mouse to view slides*

Getting Information on
Cleft Lip and Palate

The more you learn the better equipped you will

be to handle a situation involving a friend or
family member born with a cleft lip/palate.

Start with the basics, and then talk to others to

gain more information and gain a better
perspective on the disorder.

As a parent where do I begin?

Begin by asking your OB/GYN about information regarding

a cleft palate team that is ready to help you.

The team usually consist of a craniofacial surgeon,

pediatrician, nutritionist, speech therapist, occupational
therapist, audiologist, psychologist, and pediatric dentist.
Each professional is dedicated to helping your child in their
specific area of specialization.

Start asking questions and learn the basics regarding your

childs disorder and what you can do!

The Basics:
What is a Cleft Lip and Palate?
Cleft palate: An opening in the roof of the mouth (the
palate) due to a failure of the palatal shelves to come
fully together from either side of the mouth and fuse.

Cleft lip: The presence of one or two vertical clefts in

the upper lip; cleft lip can be on one side only
(unilateral), or on both sides (bilateral), resulting from
failure of the normal process of fusion of the lip to
come to completion during embryonic life.

What can be done to fix Cleft

Lip/Palate?
Surgery for cleft palate can be performed usually when the child
is 9 to 18 months old. A surgeon will take tissue from each side
of the cleft and pull it together at the roof of the mouth. This
rebuilds the palate and joins various muscles on each side. Go to
Furlow Palatoplasty at this site to view surgery.

Surgery for cleft lip can be performed as early as 10 to 12 weeks

of age. A surgeon will make an incision on either side of the cleft
from the mouth into the nostril. They then turn the dark pink
outer portion of the cleft down and pull the muscle and the skin
of the lip together to close the separation. Go to
Hagedorn Repair at this site to view surgery.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How will I feed my child? -Initially feeding your child will be

difficult do to their inability to form suction with a nipple.
Several cleft palate nursers are available though, such as
Haberman Feeder and the Mead-Johnson Nurser.

Will my childs speech be impaired? Your childs speech will

probably initially sound very nasal, but working with a
speech-language pathologist should help your child begin to
produce clear sounds.

Will my child encounter frequent ear infections? Many cleft

palate children do simply because their Eustachian Tubes
are angled normally, which prevents proper drainage. Ear
infections can be treated with antibiotics, so watch your
child closely for any sign of infection.

Are there other families

experiencing this disorder?

Yes, and the best way to learn to cope is to get

involved and talk to other families that understand
your situation.

Cleft palates appear in 1 out of every 700 births,

making it one of the most common birth defects.

Join a cleft palate family connection team to talk

to other families online, receive free information,
get your questions answered, and to receive
support and guidance for you and your family.

As my child gets OLDER

Continue to love and nurture your child as they

get older.

Kids in school can be cruel, but always remind

your child that everyone is different and special.
Someday you can even explain to your child how
they had surgery and overcame so much at such
a young age.

Secondary surgeries can become necessary as

children grow into adolescents. Skeletal growth
can interfere with speech, and teens may want
surgery to improve the appearance of scars.

References:

www.cleftadvocate.org
www.medterms.com
www.techsurgery.org
Or contact Allison Spadaro at spadaro1@marshall.edu if you have
any questions or comments.
This presentation was created by Allison Spadaro, a student at Marshall University, in order to fulfill the requirements of
her CD 315 course. The contents of this piece contains information regarding her Multigenre Research Project on Cleft
Lip and Palate. Please visit her HOME page for more information. Last updated: August 12, 2003 @ 6:00 pm est
Marshall University-One John Marshall Drive Huntington, WV 25755

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