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How to Treat a Cleft Lip


Posted on 1/15/2019 by Vladana Babcic Tal DMD
How to Treat a Cleft LipChildren born with a cleft lip can have several problems performing everyday tasks such as eating and speaking. It is vital to take care of this birth defect as soon as possible. Having a baby who has a cleft lip can be devastating and challenging, but we are here to help you.

What is a Cleft Lip?

The early stages of pregnancy are crucial for your baby's development. Before the tenth week, many elements of what will become your child's face are formed, including the lip, as early as the fourth week of pregnancy. As the pregnancy advances, the tissues and cells that make up the face will begin to come together and close in the middle.

When this stage is interrupted, the lip won't close completely, and the baby will have an opening in the center of their lip that runs up to their nostrils. In some cases, the opening is smaller and looks like a slit.

How is a Cleft Lip Treated?

While it can be incredibly difficult for a new mother to give birth to a baby with a cleft lip, there is hope. It is critical to treat the condition as soon as possible, and our surgeons have the right experience to perform this surgery on very young infants.

Repairing a cleft lip requires surgery as soon as possible to allow the child to eat and speak properly. An infant that can't feed correctly in the early days and months of life could suffer from malnutrition and be missing on getting essential vitamins and minerals from breast milk, formula, cereals, fruits, and vegetables.

It is not clear why a cleft lip happens in some babies, but scientists believe it is due to several factors, including genetics, environmental conditions, smoking, diabetes, and certain medications that can cause congenital disabilities.
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Dental Blog - Chicago • Cameo Dental Specialists
We provide this educational dental blog as a resource to our patients and the community around Chicago. We hope it will cover subjects that you may be interested in.
Cameo Dental Specialists, 148 N. Addison Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126 • (630) 425-4488 • cameods.com • 9/29/2023 • Tags: Oral Surgeon Chicago IL •