Experts Urge Early Diagnosis, Proper Care For Cleft Lip, Palate

Maxillofacial surgeons say many challenges faced by patients with cleft lip and palate can be reduced through early intervention, proper care and risk reduction strategies.

They emphasised that fixing a cleft lip or palate isn’t just about surgery, but giving people their confidence back, helping them communicate and ensuring they could thrive and fit in socially.

The surgeons from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said this in a World Oral Health Day message made available to the NAN.

The message was written by Dr Fatima Kyari; Dr Adekunle Adegbayi; Dr Adamson Olatunbosun; Ayelomi Oluwanifemi, Prof. James Olutayo; Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo and Prof. Mobolanle Ogunlewe.

World Oral Health Day, celebrated annually on March 20, seeks to unite and help reduce the burden of oral diseases, affecting individuals, health systems and economies.

They spoke on the “Challenges and Management of Children with Cleft Lip and Palate.”

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are congenital birth defects occurring when facial tissues fail to fully join in the womb, resulting in openings in the upper lip or roof of the mouth.

Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that globally, one in every 700 children is born with the condition.

The health agency added that no fewer than 19,000 cleft children were born yearly in Africa, out of which 12,000 were in West Africa and 6,000 in Nigeria.