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Cleft Lip

Though most children are born without any obvious physical deformity, there may be one in an eight hundred chance of a baby being born with a cleft lip. Cleft lip is a condition where there is a physical split or separation of the upper lip and it may appear like a gap or a narrow opening in the skin of the upper lip. Sometimes the upper roof of the mouth, called the palate, may also be affected. Clefting is a congenital deformity. Though this condition comes to light during anti natal tests, it need not be a cause for abortion on medical grounds. Legally clefting does not come under the serious deformity section, which may necessitate an abortion. Especially since it is now curable and the child need not go through life with a cleft lip or palate.

A child is born with a cleft lip due to various reasons. Though the majority of such cases have no known reason, doctors believe that this condition may be due to the exposure of the mother and the fetus to certain medicines or viral infections. Mothers exposed to certain pesticides, those taking anti convulsing drugs, exposure to lead, drugs like cocaine, heroin etc may have more chances of having children with clefts than others. Those with a family history of cleft lips or cleft palates also have more chances of being born with one, than the others. This condition happens when the fetus is just a few weeks old. This condition is also called a harelip.

The child will have feeding problems and later on speech and social problems. As the lip or the palate is not completely formed, any food or liquid may not be sucked or eaten properly. A cleft lip can be successfully treated. There are cases where even a person with an untreated cleft lip or palate has gone through life successfully. But now there are surgical operations which successfully cure such cases, allowing them to lead absolutely normal lives. They can eat, talk normally like other people.

The procedure of correcting cleft lips or cleft palates needs a team of doctors to perform the operation. A plastic surgeon, an orthodontist and others will be in consultation before the final decision is taken. Normally a baby born with a cleft lip is operated within six months though more operations are necessary to make sure that there will be no problems later on. A second operation may be done when the child is 8 to 10 years old and if necessary another one later on. This congenital defect can now be corrected and the person can become absolutely normal.