Dr. Tom Osundwa a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon and a senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi has performed numerous cleft lip and palate surgery on children over the years, putting a smile on the children’s face.
He explains that the face starts to form from separate sides, with portions coming together and fusing, during the early weeks of pregnancy, usually around five weeks. This fusion does not happen correctly in cleft lip and palate cases, leaving a gap in either the lip or the palate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the severity of cleft lip and palate can vary. Some babies might have only a small notch in the lip, while others may have a wider separation.
Dr. Osundwa notes that this condition can give the face a grotesque appearance and can significantly impact function, affecting smiling, speech, chewing, and sometimes hearing. The implications are broad because the face is crucial for many functions and aspects of social interaction.
- Log in to post comments
