Today we had Hannah’s pre-op appointment with her plastic surgeon. I can’t believe the surgery is here. I figured I would educate a little in case you were interested.
What is a Cleft Palate? A cleft palate is the most common birth defect in the United States occurring in roughly 1 out of every 700 births. Around the 12th week of pregnancy there is a failure in facial development. In typical babies, the skull palates fuse together creating the roof of the mouth. In a cleft baby, it fuses only partly resulting in a gap. In other words, Hannah has a big hole in her mouth that opens up into her nasal passage and ear canal. It can be a result of genetic or environmental factors. Most babies with cleft (about 70%) also have cleft lip. These are the kids you see on the TV commercials.
How is it repaired? Cleft palate is completely fixable! The skin/bone tissue around the cleft is stretched and stitched together. They do not use artificial material or skin graphing. The dr. tries his best to form a uvula but it all depends on how much they can stretch. The important thing is to close the hole, a uvula really serves no function.
Why is it repaired? Closing the hole facilitates feeding, allows for the sucking reflex to work properly, and prevents hearing loss. A cleft palate results in air rushing out the nose during speech. That’s why kids with cleft can sound nasally. This makes speaking difficult and unintelligible. Research shows that the earlier the cleft is repaired the better a child’s speech will be.
So now that you know all about clefts, keep our little one in your prayers. She is strong, brave and will do just fine. The doctor has done this procedure a million times.
Hannah's Cleft
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