National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month
July is the month that is officially recognized as National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness month to help raise awareness about the birth defect that is orofacial clefts (which includes cleft lips, cleft palate, or both).
A cleft lip is a craniofacial defect in which the parts of the face that form the upper lips remain split and disfigured. When the same split occurs in the roof of the mouth then it results in cleft palate. Orofacial cleft interferes with the normal functioning of the human body; problems include difficulty in eating, speech difficulties, ear infections, and misaligned teeth. And sometimes clefts also affect the quality of life of the person suffering from it.
Although the causes of most orofacial clefts are unknown the research at CDC has found that a genetic disorder or an unfavourable maternal environment during pregnancy can be either of the two reasons leading to this defect.
What is a Cleft Lip?
When the baby develops during the pregnancy, special cells and tissue from the sides of the head grow towards the centre of the face. This joining of cells and tissue forms the face and its essential features, like the lips and mouth. A cleft happens if these tissue and cells do not join completely before birth. This results in an opening in the upper lip. A cleft lip can be either on one or on both sides of the lip. In some cases, children with cleft lips are also born with a cleft palate.
What is a Cleft Palate?
A palate or the roof of the mouth is formed anywhere between the sixth and ninth week of pregnancy. A cleft palate occurs when the tissue that forms the roof of the mouth does not join together before birth. A cleft palate can occur on either the front or the backside of the palate and in some cases both.
Genetics of Cleft Lips and Palate
As mentioned earlier, cleft lips and palate occur when the tissue and cells in the baby’s face and mouth don’t fuse completely. Ideally, the tissues should fuse together in the second and third months of pregnancy but in the case of a cleft, this fusion never or partially takes place. This leaves a cavity-like opening in the lips and palate of the baby.
Most researchers believe that this defect is caused mostly by a mix of genetic and environmental factors. However, a definite cause has not been discovered yet.
The cleft causing genes can be passed on by either the father or the mother, either alone or as a part of a syndrome which includes orofacial clefts as one of its signs. In many cases, the baby inherits the genes or a genetic syndrome that makes them more prone to a cleft formation, and then an environmental factor triggers the ultimate formation of the defect.
There are several other factors that might increase the chances of a baby developing a cleft, these factors include:
· Women who are diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy are exposed to the risk of having a baby with clefts
· Parents with a family history of orofacial clefts are more likely to pass it on to their kids
· Clefts can also occur in pregnant women who smoke, drink alcohol, or take certain medications during their pregnancy
· There is some evidence which points out that cleft babies may be born to women who are obese
Male babies are more likely to have a cleft lip without cleft palate. And female babies are more likely to develop cleft palate without cleft lips.
Managing the Condition
The treatment for orofacial clefts in children can vary on the basis of the extremity of the condition; the child’s needs and age; and the presence of other genetic syndrome or birth defects.
Surgery to repair cleft lip is recommended for the newborn babies and is advisable only within the first 12 months of birth. And the surgery to repair a cleft palate is recommended to be done within the first 18 months of birth. Surgery can repair the visible (cleft lip or palate) as well as associated (breathing, hearing, and speech development) defects of orofacial the cleft. In some cases, children born with orofacial clefts are given a different type of treatments, like speech therapy, special dental or orthodontic. With the proper treatment, most children do well and live a healthy life. Kids suffering from orofacial clefts often face a myriad of problems in their life, like social ostracization, prejudice or social discrimination. These kids grow up to have self-esteem issues and anxieties that keep them from living a healthy life. Support groups can prove to be useful in such cases and can ultimately enhance the quality of life of the person.
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