Lips and palates develop from separate parts during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Normally, the left and right parts of the lip come together or “Fuse” creating a normal lip. The two vertical lines on the normal upper lip are created when the left and right parts fuse. In a similar way, the left and right parts of the palate come together to create a normal palate. A front-to-back l...
Answer: cleft is an opening in the lip, the roof of the mouth or the soft tissue in the back of the mouth. A cleft lip may be accompanied by an opening in the bones of the upper jaw and/or the upper gum. A cleft palate occurs when the two sides of a palate d...
Answer: It is not entirely clear why this happens in some babies but cleft lip and palate can run in families so it is likely that there may be a genetic factor. If a person is born with a cleft, the chances of that person having a child with a cleft, given ...
Answer: Treatment of cleft begins within six months after birth with corrective surgery. Primary surgery with the lip repair at about 3 to 4 months and palate repair between 6 and 12 months. Cosmetic surgery on the nose may occur before the child attends sch...
Answer: Orthodontists are dental specialists who limit their practice to treating patients with problems of dental and skeletal alignment (crowding, spacing, overbite, crossbites, etc). After graduating from the University of Florida College of Dentist...
Answer: There are a number of reasons for the cleft anomaly including a genetic predisposition, diet, life style, lack of adequate vitamins especially folic acid, smoking while pregnant, and pollution. Research has shown that a genetic predisposition can be ...
Answer: The children can be male or female and range in age from 6 months - 13 years. Some of the medical needs commonly seen are cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, vision or hearing impairments, club foot/feet, extra digits on hands or feet, He...
Answer: Many of the waiting children have minor/correctable special needs such as prematurity, low birth weight or developmental delays. Others have more moderate special needs such as congenital heart disease, cleft lip and palate, or clubfoot. A smaller gr...
Answer: Nearly all birth-related and acquired abnormalities of the head and face, including , degenerative diseases and tumors. This is a partial list of the conditions for which the Maaya Foundation provides support: Cleft lip and palate Aperts syndrome Cro...
Answer: Many of the experts in the cleft world are actively investigating etiology and prevention of cleft. We support their work and hope one day they will find a solution. For now, we know that cleft lip and palate is primarily a genetic condition which is...