Cleft palate can also occur together as cleft lip and palate, are variations of a type of clefting congenital deformity caused by abnormal facial development during gestation. Note that harelip is now considered as a derogatory term. A cleft is a fissure or opening—a gap. It is the non-fusion of the body's natural structures that form before birth. Clefts can also affect other parts of the face, such as the eyes, ears, nose, cheeks and forehead. Cleft palate is a condition in which the two plates of the skull that form the hard palate (roof of the mouth) are not completely joined.

Causes of Cleft Palate:
During the first six to eight weeks of pregnancy, the shape of the embryo's head is formed. Five primitive tissue lobes grow:

*one from the top of the head down towards the the future upper lip
*two from the cheeks, which meet the first lobe to form the upper lip
*two lobes grow which form the chin and lower lip

If these tissues fail to meet, a gap appears where the tissues should have fused. This can happen in any single joining site or simultaneously in several or all of them.

Treatment:
Often a cleft palate is temporarily closed, the cleft isn't closed, but it is covered by the obturator ( using a palatal obturator. The obturator is a prosthetic device made to fit the roof of the mouth covering the gap).

Cleft palate can also be corrected by surgery, usually performed between 6 and 12 months. Approximately 20-25% only require one palatal surgery to achieve a competent velopharyngeal valve capable of producing normal, non-hypernasal speech. However, combinations of surgical methods and repeated surgeries are often necessary as the child grows. One of the new innovations of cleft lip and cleft palate repair is the Latham appliance. The Latham is surgically inserted by use of pins during the child's 4th or 5th month. After it is in place, the doctor, or parents, turn a screw daily to bring the cleft together to assist with future lip and/or palate repair.

If the cleft extends into the maxillary alveolar ridge, the gap is usually corrected by filling the gap with bone tissue. The bone tissue can be acquired from the patients own chin, rib or hip.

If you or a loved one has a Cleft Palate, talk to your doctor about treatment options.