What is cleft lip?

Cleft lip is referred to a split in the upper lip which will be either completely reaching towards the nose even it can be said as the incomplete growth which stops within the lip area. The children who will be clip lip will taken into surgery when he or she is of three to six months of age, when they are old enough to go through the surgery safely without any further risk. Clift will occur on a baby face when the tissues in face and mouth don’t fuse properly. The researchers have proved that the cleft lip is caused due to the environmental factors and interaction of genetic. Cleft lip is the most common defect seen in the new born babies. When we see our baby with clef lip, it will definitely upset us, but cleft lip can be corrected. A normal surgery can be done to make the baby look normal and to get a normal appearance with a minimal scarring.

Cost of cleft lip treatment in India

The cleft lip surgery cost in India is between the range of USD 220 to USD 3000.The patient will be asked to stay in the hospital for five days from the date of admit and he or she has to come for check up on eight day from the day of surgery.

How we will be getting cleft lip

Researchers have found out some reasons and factors that causes and increase the chances for babies getting cleft lip and they are

• Smoking― It is one of the main reasons and women who will smoke during her pregnancy have more chances to have a baby with an orofacial cleft than the women who do not smoke. Its better not to smoke during the pregnancy time.

• Diabetes ― Women who has diabetes and diagnosed before pregnancy have an increased chances or risk of having a child with a cleft lip compared to women who don’t have diabetes and proper care should be taken during the pregnant time.
• Use of certain medicines ― Taking medicines is also a problem and women who used to take certain medicines to treat the epilepsy such as topiramate or valproic acid, during the first three months of the pregnancy has ahigh risk of having a baby with cleft lip with compared to women who didn’t take these medicines. Proper care and medical check up should be done properly and should take only doctor prescribed tablet.

How the treatment can be done

The treatment can be done from the day baby is born and treatment process is as follows

• birth to six weeks – feeding assistance will be provided,

support for parents will be given, hearing tests and paediatric assessment will be done

• 3-6 months – surgery to repair a cleft lip will be done
• 6-12 months – surgery to repair a cleft palate will be done
• 18 months – speech assessment will be provided
• three years – speech assessment will be provided
• five years – speech assessment will be provided
• 8-12 years – bone graft to a cleft in the gum area will be given
• 12-15 years – orthodontic treatment and monitoring jaw growth will be done

How the surgery procedure is been done

Lip repair surgery

Lip repair surgery is usually carried out when your child is around three months old and the the surgery will be done with proper care. The surgery will take only one to two hours in total. After the surgery their will, be light scar and the doctor will line up in a normal way.

Palate repair surgery

It is usually carried out when your child is 6-12 months old.The gap present in the roof of the mouth will be closed. The muscles and the lining of the palate will be rearranged. The wound is closed with dissolvable stitches and the scar will not be present because the stitching will be done inside the mouth.