Cleft lip repair : Plastic surgeon Dr. Hoffman explains the procedure and importance to parents

Anticipating the birth of a child is an exciting event. The child who is so eagerly awaited is not visualized as a child with a defect. To the parents, the birth of a child with a cleft can seem overwhelming.

The mother of a child with a significant cleft lip deformity can feel a sense of despair upon the birth of the child, which is compounded by the inevitable initial feeding difficulties. The surgeons' role at the initial consultation is to provide reassurance to the family.

The parents need to know that their child is not the only one with this deformity. Even though they may never have seen or know of a similar deformity, clefting is not uncommon. It is important to reassure the parents, and in particular the mother, that the cleft was not caused by anything they did during pregnancy. In the vast majority of cases, clefts are isolated and multifactorial in etiology. I start by showing parents before and after photographs of children with cleft lip deformities I have repaired. We tell them there will be a team of specialists involved in the care of their child.

I start my consultation by showing parents before and after photographs of children with cleft lip deformities I have repaired. We tell them there will be a team of specialists involved in the care of their child. I am involved in the Cleft Lip and Palate Team at St. Paul Children's Hospital and also provide consultation service to the University of Minnesota Hospitals. We provide names and phone numbers of parents who have children with clefts who are willing to share their experiences.

We are always available to see any child born with a cleft on the first day of life. The importance of reassurance provided by showing the parents before and after photographs of other children with clefts cannot be underestimated. We will also assist in teaching effective feeding techniques to the new mother and father. The first picture to the far left is a level II ultrasound of a child with a cleft at five months gestation. We saw the mother and father in our office two days following the ultrasound. They were shown photographs of other children who had undergone cleft lip repair.

At birth, the cleft was seen to only involve the lip. I saw the newborn baby, the mom, and dad the first day of life and once again brought pictures for reassurance. The cleft lip and nose were repaired at nine weeks of age.

	I met this attractive young lady and her parents on her first day of life. Her cleft lip and nose was repaired at 8 weeks of life. She is seen at nearly 3 years of age and she is beautiful.

In time, parents will see that the defect will not continue to dominate their lives. Their child will have the same sense of fun, mischief, and wonder as any other child. These parents will have the same hopes and dreams for their child born with a cleft as for any other child.

When should the surgeon see the child that needs a Cleft Lip Repair?
We are always available to see any child born with a cleft on the first day of life. The importance of reassurance provided by showing the parents before and after photographs of other children with clefts cannot be underestimated. We will also assist in teaching effective feeding techniques to the new mother and father.

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