Cleft lip and palate natural history, complications and prognosis
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Natural History and Prognosis
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Complications
Cleft may cause problems with feeding, ear disease, speech and socialization.
Due to lack of suction, an infant with a cleft may have trouble feeding. An infant with a cleft palate will have greater success feeding in a more upright position. Gravity will help prevent milk from coming through the baby's nose if he/she has cleft palate. Gravity feeding can be accomplished by using specialized equipment, such as the Haberman Feeder, or by using a combination of nipples and bottle inserts commonly used with other infants. A large hole, crosscut, or slit in the nipple, a protruding nipple and pressure applied to the bottle insert by the caregiver's hand can result in controllable flow to the infant without the stigma caused by specialized equipment.
Individuals with cleft also face many middle ear infections which can eventually lead to total hearing loss. The eustacian tubes and external ear canals may be angled or tortuous, leading to food or other contamination of a part of the body that is normally self cleaning.
Because the lips and palate are both used in pronunciation, individuals with cleft usually need the aid of a speech therapist. Bonding with the infant, socializing with family and community may be interrupted by the unexpected appearance, unusual speech and the surgical interventions necessary. Support for the parents as well as for the child can be pivotal.(see Psychosocial issues.