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Cleft Lip and Palate

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A cleft lip or cleft palate occurs when the lip or the roof of the mouth doesn’t close over properly. This forms a cleft (open space) in the lip or mouth. Cleft lips and palates are the most commonly occurring congenital craniofacial deformity.

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In simple terms, a cleft lip or cleft palate occurs when the lip or the roof of the mouth doesn’t close over properly. This forms a cleft (open space) in the lip or mouth. Cleft lips and palates are the most commonly occurring congenital craniofacial deformity and can occur either in isolation or in combination with other congenital abnormalities. These conditions vary greatly in severity, ranging from a small notch in the upper lip to a large gap in the lip and palate. As Vyas et al. point out, they can also occur as associated features in over 300 recognised syndromes. Although the exact cause of cleft lip and palate remains unknown, it is thought that both genetic and environmental factors may play a part.

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Meet the educator

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Anne Watkins
Anne is a freelance lecturer and medical writer at Mind Body Ink. She is a former midwife and nurse teacher with over 25 years’ experience working in the fields of healthcare, stress management and medical hypnosis. Her background includes working as a hospital midwife, Critical Care nurse, lecturer in Neonatal Intensive Care, and as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for a company making life support equipment. Anne has also studied many forms of complementary medicine and has extensive experience in the field of clinical hypnosis. She has a special interest in integrating complementary medicine into conventional healthcare settings and is currently an Associate Tutor, lecturing in Health Coaching and Medical Hypnosis at Exeter University in the UK. As a former Midwife, Anne has a natural passion for writing about fertility, pregnancy, birthing and baby care. Her recent publications include The Health Factor, Coach Yourself To Better Health and Positive Thinking For Kids. You can read more about her work at www.MindBodyInk.com.
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224 reviews by Ausmed Learners
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HC
Helena Cullinan
09 Mar 2022
Excellent description and treatment of cleft palate/lip
DB
Dipti Bhandari
15 Mar 2022
Good
UW
Ursula Wulff
08 Mar 2022
Interested to know the cause
KM
Kate McLean
01 May 2023
Registered Nurse
Good information
AR
Annette richards
08 Apr 2022
Very informative.
YF
Yousef Fidah
12 Mar 2022
Community Care Worker
Good and useful information
Portrait of Tash Tregilgas
Tash Tregilgas
11 Aug 2022
Enrolled Nurse
Good information
Portrait of Cherelle Shirlaw
Cherelle Shirlaw
09 Mar 2022
Excellent article - highly recommended to all healthcare professionals
Portrait of Carrie Denison
Carrie Denison
23 Mar 2022
Useful information, especially the different types of malformation that can occur in these babies.
KR
Kim Roberts
05 Mar 2022
A overall explanation of this subject
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