Cleft Palate Essay

Speech and Language Therapy in the Cleft Palate Population Cleft palate is the third most frequently occurring congenital deformity (Kosowksi, Weathers, Wolfswinkel & Ridgway, 2012). Cleft is defined as a split. During the early stages of pregnancy, between the sixth and ninth weeks, the structures that form the roof of the mouth join. Cleft palate is a congenital anomaly in which there is an incomplete union of these structures, manifesting individually or co-occurring with a cleft lip. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), approximately 2,650 infants are born yearly in the United States with a cleft palate and the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (2014) report that isolated cleft palate occurs in about 1 in 2,000 births worldwide. Kosowski et al. (2012) note that females (57%) are more likely to be affected than males (43%). A definitive etiology for cleft palate is unknown, but factors thought to increase the likelihood of an infant developing cleft palate include maternal age (under 16 or over 35), maternal diagnosis of diabetes prior to pregnancy, family history, gender, exposure to smoking, alcohol or certain medications in utero, and obesity during pregnancy (Mayo Clinic, 1998).

In milder cases diagnosis may occur later in life. When diagnosed later in life, symptoms may include feeding difficulties, frequent ear infections and speech difficulties. Cleft palate is also commonly associated with other disorders. Edmonson and Reinbartsen (1998) estimate that "between 44% and 64% of all oral cleft patients may have an additional anomaly," (p. 13) in conjunction with cleft palate and that "clefts have been associated with multiple syndromes, with estimates ranging from 150 to 300 possible syndromes" (p.