Expert insight on cleft lip and palate

Learning that your baby has a cleft lip or palate can be upsetting, but these birth defects are quite common. They occur early in pregnancy when tissue from each side of the head grows together to form the face. If these tissues don’t completely join, the result is a cleft, or gap, on one or both sides of the upper lip. A cleft palate occurs when the tissue that forms the roof of the mouth doesn’t fully come together, leaving an opening between the mouth and nose. It’s not clear what causes a cleft lip or palate, but a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors appears to be involved. “Although some forms of facial clefting run in families, the genetic risk is usually low,” says Dr. Ingrid Ganske, in the Cleft Lip and Palate Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Environmental factors that also slightly increase the chance of having a baby with a facial cleft include smoking, diabetes and some medications. But usually we cannot pinpoint a definite cause, and it’s important for parents to know they did nothing wrong.” Here, Ganske answers four more frequently asked questions about clefts. How can we tell our relatives and friends about our baby’s cleft? While the birth of a child is always exciting, this occasion can be overshadowed by anxiety and stress when you’re faced with telling others that your baby has a cleft lip or palate. However, this experience can also have positive benefits. Telling other people, especially close family and f...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Ask the Expert Diseases & Conditions Cleft and Craniofacial Center cleft lip Cleft lip and Palate Program cleft palate Dr. Ingrid Ganske Source Type: news