Cleft Lip And Palate
Outline
I. Causes
A. Genetic
B. Smoking
C. Medications
II. Effects
A. Hearing loss
B. Eating problems
C. Dental
D. Speech
Cleft lip and palate are conditions where the skin of either the lip or roof of the mouth did not connect properly, there is a spilt in one or both and this takes place while the baby is developing. This birth defect seems to manifest during the first trimester at six to twelve weeks. Cleft lip and palate will occur in about one or two of every 1,000 babies born in the United States.
On August 5, 2004, my daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate. Unfortunately there is no definitive explanation for this defect. Sometimes the defect can be attributed to genetics; however, there seems to be no identifiable DNA marker to predict this condition within a family. Some medical studies lean towards external factors such as poor prenatal care and/or alcohol and tobacco consumption
Aside from the physical birth defect, other effects may be hearing loss, trouble with food consumption, dental and/or speech impediments. My daughter, Camryn, suffers from all of these secondary issues. We have overcome many of these obstacles but are still facing dental, speech and hearing. Camryn is scheduled to have a second set of tubes put in her ears next week. This should help her hearing and speech.
One of several effects may include hearing loss. When the baby is born doctors will perform a hearing test to determine if so. This may be caused by fluid in the middle ear, near the ear drum. Usually, once the child has been tested the doctors may recommend ear tubes (a very small device that is placed in the ear while the baby is under anesthetics). The tubes typically fall out approximately one year after they are placed in the eardrum. The tubes...
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