Cleft Lip + Cleft Palate

Question 1

Hard palate?

Answer 1

Separates nasal and oral cavity (composed of the palatine and maxillary bones and skeletal muscle)

Question 2

Cleft lip?

Answer 2

Improper fusion of maxillary and nasal structure (week 5-8)

Question 3

Cleft?

Answer 3

a space or opening made by cleavage or a split (can be a slight indentation or a deep fissure)

Question 4

Is a cleft lip unilateral or bilateral?

Answer 4

It can be either

Question 5

How common is cleft lip?

Answer 5

~1/700 live births will have cleft lip

Question 6

Treatment for cleft lip?

Answer 6

Surgery

Question 7

Cleft palate?

Answer 7

Incomplete fusion of palatine structures (in week 9-12 of gestation)

Question 8

Which week of gestation would cause the embryo to develop cleft palate?

Answer 8

9-12

Question 9

What is cleft palate strongly linked to?

Answer 9

Smoking during pregnancy

Question 10

How common is cleft palate?

Answer 10

~1 in 2000 live births

Question 11

Is cleft lip or cleft palate more common?

Answer 11

Cleft Lip

Question 12

Treatment for cleft palate?

Answer 12

Surgery

Question 13

What is the etiology of cleft lip and cleft palate?

Answer 13

• genetic
• congenital
• strong link to smoking
• other teratogens (smoking, viral infection in the mother, folic acid deficiency)

Question 14

What is folic acid deficiency? Why are pregnant mothers given folic acid?

Answer 14

Deficiency of folic acid - which is involved in DNA synthesis. Pregnant mothers are given folic acid because the fetus can have a problem with development.

Question 15

Which week of gestation would cause the embryo to develop cleft lip?

Answer 15

week 5-8

Question 16

What is a problem of cleft palate?

Answer 16

It impacts the nasal structures more so than cleft lip leading to speech, breathing and feeding issues.