All babies can lose up to 10% of their birthweight but usually regain it in two to three weeks. If a baby is having five to six wet nappies a day and regular motions, is healthy and alert, these are indications that they are being fed enough. If you are concerned, contact your Cleft Team or Paediatrician. Sometimes, babies will need to be given high calorie milk to help them take in enough nutrition.
Although treatment may take many years and require several surgeries, most children affected by these conditions can achieve normal appearance, speech and eating.
After the operation, your child's lip, nose, and face will be swollen for a few days. The scar may be red for several months. It will take 6 to 12 months for the scar to soften and fade.
Although it will never completely disappear, in time, the scar will become difficult to see. Your child's lip and nose will be nearly normal in appearance after the swelling and scar have subsided.
Treatment usually begins in infancy and often continues through early adulthood. Although some children need to have another procedure on their lips and/or nose before they begin school, or as they enter adolescence, other children never need further surgery.
Children whose cleft lips involve the alveolus, or gum line, typically need another operation to help their permanent teeth come in and to make it easier for orthodontic treatments to improve their bite and jaw function. This operation is called an alveolar bone graft, and is usually performed when the child is 8 to 10 years old.
Most children with isolated cleft lip and/or palate will not demonstrate delays in the area of motor and cognitive (problem solving) skills; however, they are at risk for speech-language delays. School age children with repaired cleft lip and/or palate have shown to have an increase in reading and language-based disabilities so close monitoring is recommended. Children born with cleft lip and/or palate as part of a syndrome tend to have a higher risk for developmental delay.
If you don’t see your specific question here, please contact us.
