Cleft Lip and Palate Essay Example

and others. Treatment may extend over a period of several years. Surgery to close the cleft lip usually performed at 1 or 2 months of age. Later surgery may be needed if there is extensive nasal involvement. Since cleft palate is usually diagnosed at birth, it can usually be closed within the first year of life to enhance normal speech development. Until surgery, a prosthetic device is often fitted over the palate for feeding.

Although treatment may extend over several years and require several surgeries depending upon the involvement, most children affected by this disorder can achieve normal appearance, speech, and eating and will gain social confidence not worrying about kids teasing them. For some, speech problems may continue. Some complications that may occur are recurrent ear infections, hearing loss, dental cavities, and displaced teeth speech defects. Although it is considered an “abnormality”, it shouldn’t be thought of as a disability. But the effects and problems that may occur because of this defect should not be ignored or neglected, such as speech impairment. Parents of the child need not feel responsible for their child’s disorder, there is no known preventive measure. Some parents decide that their child’s disorder does not need to be repaired, but it would only benefit the child when they grow older, both in a physical aspect and in the emotional aspect because the world is cruel and not very accepting of those that are “different” from the majority.

Bibliography

1.Better Homes and Gardens Family Medical Guide 2.Funk and Wangalls Encyclopedia 3.Microsoft Encarta98 Encyclopedia 4.www.healthhelp.com 5.Cleft Lip and Palate Parent’s Guide, By J.R. Thompkins