Cleft palate disease
Cleft palate disease (cleft palate), is a congenital curable defect of deformity of the palate of a child, developing during pregnancy, when its stratification occurs with possible spread into the nasal cavity. This pathology can affect any part of the palate and the palatal uvula and the anterior part of the hard palate. This defect can manifest itself in combination with other congenital malformations of the cheekbones and tongue of the child, it can be, for example, a cleft lip. But the cleft palate can manifest itself separately, without being accompanied by other maladies disfiguring the facial part of the baby.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are defects in the head and neck area detected at birth. Without surgery, the presence of this defect significantly hinders the development of hearing and vision of the child, as well as eating.
According to statistics, such a malformation is observed in 1 child per 1 thousand newborns.
CAUSES OF SPLIT PALATE
There is no consensus on the reasons for the appearance of this defect at the moment. The disease can be both a genetic disorder and a consequence of factors of a polluted environment. The mutational gene theory has recently been increasingly confirmed. There were reports in the press that scientists had discovered three genes, mutations in which lead to the development of such a disease.
Accordingly, if one of the relatives had this disease, then the risk of passing it on to the child increases. The following factors significantly increase the possibility of this pathology during pregnancy:
smoking;
alcohol;
drugs;
infectious diseases;
radiation;
abuse of antibiotics.
SYMPTOMS OF SPLIT PALATE
Some forms of split palate can be detected immediately after the birth of a child, especially when they provoke obvious facial deformity. However, it is not always possible to determine this disease by external signs. The most accurate symptom of the disease is the location of the gap (stratification). For example, even a faintly noticeable small slit located on the soft palate can provoke serious problems in the development of hearing and speech than a large, obvious, deep dissection. Children with split palate have problems with eating, because their swallowing and sucking reflex is broken.
DIAGNOSIS OF SPLIT PALATE
The pathology of the split palate is diagnosed after the birth of a child in the process of checking for physical fitness. In some cases, the defect can be established at 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, with the help of intrauterine ultrasound, especially with severe progressive form and development of cleft lip. But this method does not allow us to definitively confirm the diagnosis.
TREATMENT OF SPLIT PALATE
For the treatment of split palate, several specialists are involved who practice in this area. A nurse and a attending physician provide advice on the care of such a child and his feeding.
Surgical intervention is prescribed only after the child reaches the age of one or one and a half years. As a rule, several surgical interventions are required to correct this pathology. The entire course of treatment of this disease can take a long period, up to the adolescent age of the patient.
In some cases, some patients with split palate may develop other defects that require additional treatment. These may be problems with hearing, speech, frequent infections of the ear cavity and sinus, complications arising after correction of the initial defect. There may be deviations in the dental area, for example, an extra tooth or the absence of some teeth. Often, deformational changes of healthy teeth occur in such children.
