Congenital deformities of the lip and palate occur at birth because of a disorder in the formation of the palate and upper lip in the early embryonic development of the fetus. Defects of the upper lip can be clefts on one or both sides. The cleft can extend and cover the entire lip or continue all the way to the nose, forming the so-called hare lip. While the cleft palate can occur as an independent defect or in combination with a cleft of the upper lip. Cleft palates occur as defects of the uvula of the throat, then clefts of the soft palate or, alternatively, clefts of the soft and hard palate. Medical examinations have proven that a third of the deformations of the upper lip and palate are hereditary and occur in descendants in one family. Therefore, future parents should make a so-called genetic map when planning a family to detect the presence of a possible defect in the genome. The appearance of a cleft lip or palate in a new born is a strong shock for parents, especially for the mother. Early consultation with the surgeon and examination of the newborn can reassure the parents, which should explain the deformity in detail as well as the methods for its surgical treatment. There are several surgical techniques for closing the primary defect of the palate and upper lip, which are performed according to the type of deformity, the complexity of the defect and the age. Common to all surgical techniques is the end result - closing the cleft palate, creating a mobile upper palate and separating the nasal cavity from the oral cavity. This prevents the passage of food and liquids to the nose and normal airflow during breathing.
Filipovski et al. (Fri,) studied this question.