When is the best time to have cleft palate surgery for children?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Tran Van Trong - Specialist in Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery - Aesthetics - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Danang International Hospital.
In Vietnam, the rate of children with congenital cleft palate is increasing. Defects cause children to face many difficulties in eating and communicating, making children feel inferior to themselves. Parents need to learn and supplement with relevant knowledge about cleft palate in children to make child care easier.

1. Symptoms of cleft palate in children

Children with a cleft palate in the lips or roof of the mouth can usually be recognized immediately after birth by some of the following signs:
A crack appears on the baby's lips or in the roof of the mouth, causing the baby's face to appear affected children. Small slit-like cracks appear on the lips or may extend from the lips through the gums and roof of the mouth, in the lower part of the nose. Cracks on the roof of the mouth In rare cases, a child has a cleft palate in the muscles of the palate. This form of cleft is often unnoticed and can only be diagnosed when the signs are advanced. Some of the symptoms in children with a cleft palate under the lining of the mouth include:
Difficulty swallowing food Ear infections The child speaks in a nasal voice

2. Subjects at high risk of cleft palate disease

Some children have a high risk of congenital cleft palate when:
Have a parent or sibling who has had a cleft palate The mother smoked or drank alcohol while pregnant Mother had an infection, took medication while pregnant pregnant mother with diabetes during pregnancy obese pregnant mother Taking high doses of vitamin A Mother with flu or poor nutrition during pregnancy Boys are more likely to have cleft lip with or without cleft palate cleft jaw. However, for girls, the rate of cleft palate without cleft lip is higher.

3. Impact of cleft palate on children

The degree of impact and effect of cleft palate on children depends on how wide or narrow the cleft is, one side or all.
Children with cleft palate will have some problems such as:
Affected functions such as difficulty speaking, eating, swallowing, hearing loss. Face is less aesthetic due to cleft lip, nose, jawbone.. ...deformed Children's psychology is affected, feelings of inferiority, inferiority, inferiority complex Children's comprehensive development is affected

4. When is the best time to have cleft palate surgery for children?

Currently, with the advancement of modern medicine, surgery for children with cleft palate has become simpler.
The best time to have cleft palate surgery for children is as follows:
For children with cleft palate with cleft lip (cleft lip on one side): Usually when the baby is over 3 months old and weighs over 5kg For those Children with cleft palate with cleft lip (bilateral total cleft lip): Usually when the child is 6 months old and weighs more than 6kg For children with cleft palate without cleft lip (cleft palate): Usually when the child is born 18 months old and weighs about 10kg. The above are the most appropriate times to perform surgery on children with cleft palate. Surgery should not be chosen when the child is too old because this will affect the baby's feeding, feeding and speech.

5. Things to note before cleft palate surgery

In order for the surgery to go well, parents should note a few things:
Before surgery, it is necessary to prepare the child in good health. During surgery, the baby's health condition must be healthy, the child must not have a cough, no fever. In some cases, children with cleft palate can be operated on before or after the prescribed time, but this issue must be decided by the treating doctor. If after surgery, the scar is bad, the child can still be adjusted until it meets the aesthetic requirements.

6. Prevention of cleft palate

In many cases, a baby's cleft palate cannot be prevented, however, you can take some steps to reduce the risk to your unborn baby, such as:
You should get screened. Birth defects If your family has a history of cleft palate, you should talk to your doctor during pregnancy to help you determine early whether your baby is at risk of having a cleft palate Get enough vitamins The right dose before birth will reduce the risk of birth defects, including cleft palate. You should take vitamin supplements in advance if you intend to become pregnant. Pregnant mothers should not smoke or use alcoholic beverages. Babies are at high risk of birth defects, especially cleft palate, if the mother uses tobacco and drinks alcohol during pregnancy. Before and during pregnancy, women should take between 0.4 - 1mg of folic acid per day, should be taken at least 1 month before becoming pregnant. Besides, folic acid can be supplemented through green vegetables, fruits such as oranges, tangerines and some other grains. However, high doses of folic acid should not be used to avoid nerve damage due to poor excretion and deficiency of b12. Be careful when using vitamin A during pregnancy. Cleft palate surgery helps to improve the child's appearance, the ability to eat and communicate in the child will also become better, besides, the surgery helps the child to integrate into life like a child. other normal. Before surgery, parents need to prepare the best health for the child.
The time of surgery depends on the condition of the cleft lip. You should take your child to a reputable medical facility to be examined and consulted by a specialist doctor. Vinmec International General Hospital is known as one of the best places for cleft palate surgery today. The team of orthopedic surgeons are all highly qualified, highly trained in aesthetic plastic surgery, experienced in helping to regain the best smile for your baby. In addition, from 2013 until now, Vinmec has performed cleft palate surgeries for children free of charge, helping hundreds of children to have a better new life.
If you have a need for cleft palate surgery at Vinmec, please book an appointment directly at the website or contact the hotline for detailed advice.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.