Cleft Palate

It is a congenital anomaly seen in approximately 1 in 1000 live births. It occurs as a result of a defect in the fusion of the parts that will form the palate in the womb. Although the exact cause is not clear, having it in the family increases the risk.

1- This situation may cause feeding problems in the baby, the baby may not be able to suck the breast or bottle, and may need to be fed with a special bottle or spoon.

2- If surgery is not performed, there may be a speech disorder in the future, commonly referred to as slurring speech.

3- Middle ear infection is common and if this condition is not treated, hearing loss may occur.

4- May have frequent nose and throat infections

The cleft in the palate may be complete or partial, and sometimes it may be accompanied by unilateral or bilateral cleft lip.

The age of surgery in these children is 9-12 months if the baby's development and blood values are normal. Before the surgery, a detailed interview and examination is made, blood tests, heart electrocardiography, chest x-ray are taken, and an anesthesiologist examination is performed.

The surgery is performed in a full-fledged hospital under general anesthesia (full sleep). The surgery takes approximately 1-2 hours, and the patient is discharged after being hospitalized for a day or two. After the surgery, the baby is fed with a spoon for about 2 weeks.

These children may have speech disorders, holes in the palate, and crooked teeth despite surgery in the future. If there is a speech disorder, speech treatment and surgery may be required at the age of 4-5.

Post-operative teeth may be crooked, in which case orthodontic treatment may be required. Again, in these patients, the upper jaw may remain behind, and in this case, the upper jaw may need to be moved forward with orthodontic treatment or surgery in the future.