Cleft

The cleft lip and palate are congenital malformations (present al birth) somewhat common, since they affect (together) until to one in 700-1000 births.? As for races, the Asian is the most affected one, followed by some native races of North America; and with less affectation the Caucasian and black.? A person can have cleft lip, cleft palate or well, both.

To certain science the causes are not found totally described; although they have probable responsibles; being able to be aisolated condition in the product, to be product of various environmental as genetic factors, or well, of a lot more frequent form in our country, an inadequate state of maternal nutrition (ej.? By deficiency of folic acid).

The defect occurs in phases of the early development (around the 5th week for the lip and to the 10th week of gestation for the palate), the previous thing favors the lack of fusion of the structures that eventually will form the mouth, since these they migrate from both sides of the face toward the center.? Curiously, both forms of malformations, are presented of more common form in males that in women.

Subsequently we will describe each one:

Cleft Lip:

Also called hare lip, is a defect in the fusion of the upper lip, frequently accompanied by cleft palate.

According to the total or partial affectation of the lip and to be unique or double, is described like unilateral/ bilateral and complete/ incomplete.

As much as a 70% of the affected with cleft lip, has certain affectation in palate.? Its repair can be carried out once the boy/girl weighs some 5 kg. or when its medical condition allows it.

Cleft Palate:

This condition, when appears individually possesses the same prevalence (apparition in a population) in all the racial groups, being its incidence somewhat smaller, as much as 1 in 2000 births.

Concerning the cleft palate, the repair should be carried out before the two years, mainly between the 9 months and the year and a half; being a technically more complicated surgery and having as an objective the repairing of? the palate for an adequate development of the speech and diet.