Cleft palate and cleft lip happen early on in pregnancy and are a result of there not being enough tissue for the mouth and lip area to join together properly. A cleft lip is a split in the lip and can be a narrow split or a larger gap. A cleft palate is a split or opening in the roof of the mouth. Both conditions can occur separately or together and can be corrected through surgery. These conditions affect approximately one in 700 babies born. Here are three things to know about cleft lip and cleft palate:
Best Age for Surgery
The first thing to consider if your child has a cleft palate or cleft lip is when to get surgery. In most cases, surgery is done early on since healing rates are faster and it can prevent future issues. For cleft palate, surgery is recommended between 6 and 18 months of age. For cleft lip repair, surgery is recommended between 10 and 12 weeks of age. With surgery to repair either cleft lip or cleft palate, it's also recommended to not wait longer than 3 years of age. After this point, the development of language skills could potentially suffer.
The Cost of Surgery
Another thing to consider is the cost of cleft lift or cleft palate surgery. Without insurance, both cleft palate surgery and cleft lip surgery range in price between $5,000 and $10,000 each. Depending on the case and the extent of the cleft lip or cleft palate, multiple surgeries may be required. Many need multiple surgeries to correct these issues over the course of years or even decades. Most health insurance policies will cover at least some if not most of the cost of surgery.
Recovery Time After Surgery
Recovery time after surgery can vary depending on the extent of the cleft lift or cleft palate and how well aftercare instructions are followed. Full recovery typically takes a few weeks. After the surgery, certain foods will need to be avoided. A child's hands may also need to be restricted for a few days after surgery so they don't put their fingers in their mouths. Multiple follow-up appointments will likely be needed in order to determine whether or not the surgical site is healing properly.
When it comes cleft lip and cleft palate, there are a few things to know. First, surgery can help correct the issue and the younger the surgery is performed, the better. Costs of this surgery can vary, but without insurance it can cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. Recovery time after the surgery can also vary but is typically a few weeks.