Cleft lip - a congenital malformation, occurring often enough - one per 1,000 live births. What causes a defect in their child? The main reason is considered family history. Risk factors are the same as alcohol, smoking, maternal age over 35 years.

How and why developing a cleft lip

Cleft lip (heyloskhizis) - a congenital cleft lip, a malformation of maxillofacial region, formed in the early stages of pregnancy in the first two months, when formed maxillofacial organs. There are different types of cleft lip, but the main unifying feature of all of them is the lack of a complete fusion of tissues of the upper jaw with the nasal cavity or cleft lip in half.

On the overall development of the child, this defect is not reflected. At the same time it creates problems with eating and speaking. With age, the child also becomes aware of the existence of a cosmetic defect that may affect his psychological development.

The reason for the formation of cleft lip is heredity - in close relatives of the child is almost always possible to find the carrier of this defect. Genetic disorders may occur when exposed to during the Bookmarks maxillofacial of factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, heavy toxicosis, high emotional stress, intake of various drugs, the effects of ionizing radiation, infectious diseases, mother and so on. Has the value and age of the mother, children with cleft lip often born to mothers aged 35 years and older.

For early detection of defects, including cleft lip, pregnant women carried ultrasound. Cleft lip can be seen in the late II, early III trimester of pregnancy. With special attention to women, who already have a child with a cleft lip, it is recommended that consultation genetics.

How does

Cleft more likely to occur in the area of ​​the upper lip. This disturbed fusion of the maxillary and medial nasal processes. However, isolated cases are described as cleft and congenital fistulas of the blind channels appeared on the lower lip.

Forms crevices may be different - from a small notch at the red border posts to complete cleft lip with an opening nose. Sometimes splitting tissues may be limited to the muscle layer - the so-called hidden spina. This replaces the isolation of the muscular layer is visible disengaging furrow the skin or mucosa

Cleft lip may be unilateral or bilateral. In half of the cases combined cleft lip with cleft palate alveolar ridge (cleft palate) and nasal deformity.

Through bilateral cleft as it separates the middle part of the upper lip with the bone that protrudes forward, while remaining connected to the nasal septum. With complete cleft lip baby can not breastfeed, breathing becomes shallow and frequent, the state is often complicated by pneumonia. There is incomplete (partial) form of cleft lip.

Is it possible to cure a cleft lip?

Modern techniques allow plastic surgery to completely eliminate such a defect. The main type of operations that are performed when a cleft lip is chiloplasty - plastic lips. Chiloplasty is usually carried out at the age of three - six months, but sometimes sooner or later.

With cheiloplasty eliminated all functional and cosmetic defects of the upper lip. After the operation for protecting joints, nasal cavity in turn introduced gauze. After some time the tampon is removed and a catheter inserted into the nasal passage, which will be there for about three months. After ten days of operating the sutures are removed and conducted conservative treatment for the full recovery of organ function.

Another type of surgery is rinoheyloplastika during which carried out the plastic lips, restoring the proper frame of muscles of the mouth and nose cartilage repair.

The most difficult step is rinoheylognatoplastika - it is carried out under severe maxillofacial defects when it is necessary to eliminate the defects of the alveolar bone.

Correction of cleft teeth is successful in nearly 90% of cases - congenital malformation is eliminated completely. But the results of operations can be fully assessed only one year after its implementation.

Cleft lip - a congenital malformation that occurs frequently and successfully treated. To prevent the development of defects in a child should be remembered that during his favorites organs and tissues (in the first 12 weeks), no smoking, drinking alcohol, and any medication.

Galina Romanenko