Symptoms:
The first symptom is an obvious facial deformity that can look several different ways. This is because there are different types of cleft palates which affect several parts of the oral cavity. Some are less visible, while others come with larger gaps both intraorally and extraorally. There can be an opening on the lip and roof of the mouth, only the roof of the mouth, lip and the bottom of the nose, the soft palate and more. It can happen at only one side or be a bilateral condition. It is much more common on the maxilla compared to the lower jaw.
Functional symptoms include difficulty with speaking, eating, chewing, swallowing, infections, ear conditions, breathing and more. Young kids are most affected by the appearance, and that is the biggest problem for them. Thanks to the advanced surgical procedures, most of the cases are treated with minimal scars.
Causes:
This is a condition that is genetically transferred. According to scientists, cleft palate can also be caused by a number of environmental factors. It all happens during the second and third month of pregnancy when the oral tissues are supposed to fuse, but due to some changes they don’t and there is a gap noticed right after birth. There is no method that will help in finding the exact reason that caused this condition. Some of the risk factors include smoking, drinking, drug abuse during pregnancy, genetics, radiation, exposure to metals, diabetes, obesity and more.