Invited Post on Cleft Lip Surgery options in India

Cleft - A Smile Is What We Need

Cleft is an orofacial condition where the baby is born with a gap in the lip (cleft lip) or roof of the mouth (cleft palate) or both. It is a birth defect during pregnancy when different areas of the face that developed individually join together, but fail to join properly near the mouth and the lips leading to a split or a cleft. If the separation occurs near the lips then it is known as cleft lip, and if it is near the mouth then cleft palate.
It may or may not be detected during pregnancy by an ultrasound test. One in every 700 children is found to have this birth defect.
A definite reason behind it hasn't been detected yet, but several cases related to clefts are thought to be a result of genetic and environmental combinations. Vitamin deficiencies like lack of folic acid during pregnancy along with consumption of alcohol, anti-seizure medicines and steroid tablets, and smoking are the most common cases why this occurs.
If not treated on time, Cleft can have multiple adverse effects on the child. Apart from feeding problems, the child can become susceptible to infections related to ear, nose, teeth and speech, along with psychological and social problems at a later stage. Special advice from feeding or speech therapist must be sought while breastfeeding the baby affected with the cleft lip as it may find it difficult to form a grip around the breast, and it may choke due to cleft palate if not positioned carefully.
Luckily there are affordable surgery packages in India for treating cleft lip and cleft palate deformities in India. Plastic surgeons can close the cleft by connecting the muscles of the soft palate and rearranging the tissues to close the palate. The surgery takes 1 - 2 hours to complete and requires 4 - 5 days of stay in the hospital for recovery.
Surgery can be conducted once the child is two to three months old. It is important to monitor the child's growth to ensure that it is ready for the cleft lip surgery and cleft palate surgery.

• Care must be taken with the child's diet to ensure that it is healthy and gains weight before the surgery.
• Child's blood type and count must be checked.
• A thorough physical examination of your child must be done along with complete medical history examination.
• Share all the details regarding the medicines consumed by your child with the doctor.
• Get complete clarity regarding the medicines that can be consumed on the day of, and post-surgery.

A pink light scar can be visible after cleft lip surgery. Soreness and irritability are commonly experienced after cleft palate surgery. Chances of infection while in the hospital can be minimized by prescribing antibiotics. Clear instructions for general care and feeding must be sought for from the doctor right after the surgery. The stitches need not be cut open surgically as it usually dissolves during the recovery period.
The cost difference between cleft lip surgery and cleft palate surgery in India and in the West is huge, where India charges only one-tenth of what is charged across shores.

There are numerous success stories behind these surgeries. Each child is entitled to an uninhibited smile so let's make that happen by taking action!