By Michael Sundine, MD
Congenital deformities come in all shapes and sizes. One of the common types of deformity, occurring in about 1 in 700 children, is a cleft lip. The condition is characterized by a gap in the upper lip. A smaller version of the deformity is called a microform cleft, which is a smaller dent that curves up towards the nostril.
A cleft can cause problems with eating and speech, along with and psychosocial problems. During the first six to eight weeks of pregnancy, a cleft lip is the result of the failure of tissues called the frontonasal prominence, mexilar prominence and mandibular to join. Variations in genetics affect the type of malformation. Consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Michael Sundine to determine how a cleft lip can be corrected.
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