What to prepare before cleft palate surgery for children?

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Tran Van Trong - Specialist in Pediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery - Aesthetics - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Danang International Hospital.

Vietnam is one of the countries with a high rate of children with cleft palate. Currently, with the advancement of modern medicine, the treatment of cleft palate surgery in children has become simpler and highly effective. The following article will help parents learn about the necessary knowledge to have the best preparation before performing cleft palate surgery for their children.

When the tissues of the lips or palate of the fetus do not develop normally, it causes a cleft palate. Children with a cleft palate often don't have enough tissue in their mouth and the roof of the mouth can't form because the tissue doesn't come together properly. In some cases, children have partial regurgitation, or there are children with full frontal regurgitation.
Cleft palate usually has 3 different types, including:
Cleft palate cleft palate Cleft palate without cleft lip Cleft palate. Cleft palate is a defect with the appearance of special signs, so the disease is easily diagnosed and detected by prenatal ultrasound.

Currently, researchers have not yet determined the exact cause of cleft palate in children.
However, there are a number of factors that are thought to cause the disease, such as:
Genetic factors The mother smokes, drinks alcohol during pregnancy The mother takes drugs or is exposed to chemicals, infections during Pregnancy Researchers think that the gene that causes cleft palate can be passed on from parents to children. Children whose parents or siblings have a cleft palate are more likely to have the defect.
Children with cleft palate often have respiratory problems because their lips cannot close properly. In addition, children have difficulty in eating and drinking milk. Babies must use bottles with special nipples to make feeding easier, or some babies may use a prosthetic palate to aid in eating.
Currently, with modern medicine, cleft palate can be effectively treated by plastic surgery to reconstruct the cleft lip and cleft palate.

Before performing cleft palate surgery for children, experts including plastic surgeons, ear-nose-throat specialists, orthodontists... to come up with the best method for children.
Cleft lip and cleft palate surgery in children will usually be performed when the baby is 3 months old. For children with cleft palate, usually surgery will be performed when the child is 9-10 months old, at this time the baby's weight reaches about 10kg. Attention should be paid to good preparation before performing cleft palate surgery for children so that the post-operative recovery period goes smoothly.
Before surgery, parents need to prepare a few things in advance:
3.1 In infancy Most children with cleft palate cannot breastfeed and cannot use normal bottles for children. Therefore, parents often have to choose specialized bottles. Babies can drink breast milk or formula. For children with cleft palate, to achieve the same amount of milk as other normal children takes more time and effort, requires patience from the parents of the children. Mothers also need to feed the baby more often and the feeding time should not be too long to avoid making the baby lose strength.
3.2 For children who are learning to eat solid foods, adding solid foods will help children add calories, vitamins and other necessary minerals for children. It is not recommended to delay the introduction of raw foods to children with cleft palate because this can lead to limited communication skills, lack of nutrition and it is impossible to ensure that the child is fully healthy before surgery. art. Mothers should practice feeding their children these foods before performing cleft palate surgery:
Eating solid foods will make children encounter a lot of difficulties. Children can hardly push food to the back of their mouth to swallow, making them more susceptible to coughing, choking.... These things will cause children to become confused, anxious and afraid when they have to eat solid foods. The same child will refuse this type of food.
3.3 The risk of children having gastroesophageal reflux

Children with cleft palate are at increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux (food coming up into the nose) because the amount of gas in the stomach increases when the child eats due to weak opening of the stomach muscles. Although gastroesophageal reflux is not dangerous for children, it makes children very uncomfortable and worried. Therefore, when this phenomenon occurs, the mother should not force the child to continue eating to help the child regain his composure. Children tolerate positive experiences better. When the baby is ready, continue feeding.
3.4 Orthopedic for children Some children need to be orthodontist orthodontist before performing surgery, including some of the following cases:
Children with total cleft palate Children with cleft palate have protruding premaxillary nodes forward with cleft lip and palate on both sides The child's nose and nasal bridge are flattened, deformed a lot The child has difficulty sucking, often spits up, choking Children with cleft palate have a tongue that is always inserted into the gap Ensuring nutrition Caring for children before surgery to treat cleft palate is very important. Therefore, before surgery, children with cleft palate need to learn to drink milk and eat by different methods.
Today with the development of medicine, the treatment of children with cleft palate has become much simpler. Therefore, parents should not be too worried if the child unfortunately encounters this condition. With children with cleft palate, be patient and give more attention to the child. Before surgery for cleft palate, it is important to prepare mentally and physically for the child.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment. Dr. Trong has more than 10 years of experience in Pediatric and Reconstructive - Aesthetic Surgery, and soon became one of the leading doctors in the field of Children's Surgery, especially Laparoscopic and Plastic Surgery. Plastic Surgery - Aesthetics.
To register for examination and treatment with pediatricians at Vinmec International General Hospital, please click the "Contact Us" button on the website or register online HERE.
MORE:
What to do with the results of fetal ultrasound with cleft palate? Can cleft lip and palate defects be detected by fetal ultrasound? Why do pregnant women need to have an ultrasound to screen for fetal malformations?