What happens if your baby is born with a cleft palate?

One of the most immediate concerns after birth is feeding. While most babies with cleft lip can breast-feed, a cleft palate may make sucking difficult. Ear infections and hearing loss. Babies with cleft palate are especially at risk of developing middle ear fluid and hearing loss.

What week of pregnancy does a cleft lip usually develop?

Cleft lip and cleft palate happen very early in pregnancy. Your baby’s lips form between 4 and 7 weeks of pregnancy, and the palate forms between 6 and 9 weeks of pregnancy. Oral clefts don’t have to happen together—a baby can have one without the other.

Can a baby survive cleft lip?

Nine in 10 children with a cleft lip or palate can die without surgery according to Dr. William Magee. Magee founded Operation Smile to repair cleft lips and palates more than 35 years ago. “More people die from lack of access to surgery, than from malaria, AIDS and TB combined,” Magee said.

Can an ultrasound pick up a cleft palate?

Most cleft problems can either be picked up at the routine 20-week scan or soon after birth. However, a submucous cleft, where the cleft is hidden in the lining of the roof of the mouth, may not be detected for months or even years.

How can you tell if you have a cleft lip on ultrasound?

A regular ultrasound scan cannot reliably identify a cleft palate, either by itself or along with a cleft lip. If you have received a diagnosis of ‘cleft lip and palate’ from a regular ultrasound scan, it’s very likely that what was actually found was a cleft lip and gum.

Does alcohol cause cleft lip?

No significant association was found between alcohol use and isolated cleft palate or clefts in children with multiple birth defects. Alcohol use during pregnancy may be a cause of isolated cleft lip with or without cleft palate.

Is a cleft palate fatal?

Cleft palate is the most common birth defect that occurs. It happens in about 1 in 700 births. It is not a fatal problem. Most children born with clefts do well in developed countries.

At what age is cleft palate repair?

Most times, cleft palate repair is done when the child is older, between 9 months and 1 year old. This allows the palate to change as the baby grows. Doing the repair when the child is this age will help prevent further speech problems as the child develops.