Worse still, the condition could be passed on to their children and down the generational line if certain precautions are not adhered to.
Experts describe cleft lip and cleft palate as facial and oral malformations that occur very early in pregnancy while the baby is still developing in the womb.
Causes
Physicians say in most cases, the cause of cleft lip or cleft palate is unknown. The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, says “Most scientists believe clefts are due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors;” warning that “there appears to be a greater chance of clefting in a newborn if a sibling, parent, or relative has had the problem.”
Experts affirm that risk factors include a family history of cleft lip or palate and other birth defects. And, according to statistics, about one out of 2,500 people have a cleft palate.
But while we may be helpless about our genetic disposition, a medical doctor/past District 9110 Governor of Rotary International, Dr. Deinde Shoga, warns that a potential cause of cleft lip/palate is drug use during pregnancy.
He notes that many pregnant women use medications arbitrarily, that is without the supervision of a competent physician. He laments that instead of taking their antenatal schedules with all the seriousness it deserves, they simply take to self-medication whenever they feel unwell. Shoga warns that even the regular painkiller that sells over the counter could pose a risk to a foetus if the mother abuses it!
Indeed, researchers say some drugs may cause cleft lip or cleft palate or a combination of both. Among such drugs are anti-seizure/anticonvulsant drugs, acne drugs containing Accutane; as well as methotrexate, a drug commonly used for treating cancer, arthritis and psoriasis.
Idris adds that cleft lip or cleft palate may also occur as a result of exposure to viruses or chemicals while the foetus is developing in the womb, hence the need for pregnant women to be conscious of the pollutions inherent in their environment and how to avoid them.
And if you are a smoker, experts say women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with an orofacial cleft than women who do not smoke; while women who are diagnosed with diabetes before pregnancy also have an increased risk of having a child with a cleft lip or cleft palate, compared to women who do not have diabetes.
Symptoms
It goes without saying that cleft lip or cleft palate can affect the appearance of the face; but beyond this, physicians say it could also lead to problems with feeding and speech, while ear infection is also common among victims of this disfiguring disorder.
Cleft lip or cleft palate comes with its sack load of health challenges, experts say; and these include problems such as failure to gain weight in the case of a child; and feeding problems, as milk may flow through nasal passages during feeding.
Idris notes that the problem may also lead to poor growth, repeated ear infections and speech difficulties as the child grows.
Indeed, experts warn that hearing problems are common in children with cleft lip or cleft palate, and that the affected child should have a hearing test early on, and it should be repeated over time.
Idris confirmed this much. As a physician, he says he’s aware that a child with cleft lip or cleft palate could suffer speech impediment if the disorder is not corrected within the first 18 months of life, hence the intervention of the state ministry of health in partnership with international humanitarian organisations to organise regular free surgeries for the repair of this birth defect.
At a media briefing on the free cleft/lip palate corrective surgeries performed on Lagos children, in partnership with the Rotary International District 9110 and the United States-based Alliance for Smile, Idris laments that while most cleft problems can be picked up at the routine 20-week pregnancy scan or soon after birth, the cost of correcting the anomaly could be burdensome.
“This is because the condition requires not only surgical correction but rehabilitative therapy as well, as continued follow-up may be needed with speech therapists and orthodontists,” he says.
He discloses that the current exercise is the 12th outing since 2006 when the ministry first initiated the free treatment; while over 1,000 children and young adults with ages ranging from three months to 15 years have benefitted so far.
Idris says the patients are being attended to at the Critical Care Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
He counsels pregnant women to avoid dangerous habits such as smoking; while also urging them to attend their antenatal check-ups regularly, in addition to eating nutritious foods that will nurture mother and child.
In her contribution, the Mission Director of Rotary International, Ms. Barbara Fisher, urges the media to support the government by educating members of the public on how to prevent the defect as much as possible, noting that her organisation is ever ready to partner with the Lagos State Government in this regard.
In all, a 15-man team from the United States, ably complemented by the surgeons at LASUTH, carried out the repair surgeries which, as at the time of filing this report, had successfully operated on 19 out of the 66 patients prepared for the exercise.
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