Cleft
Cleft lip and palate, or orofacial clefts, occur in about 1 in 700 children when the baby is developing in the womb, and can affect the lip, palate, jaw, gumline and teeth. During the first 6-8 weeks of pregnancy, the cells that form the baby’s nose, mouth, and upper jaw fuse to create the roof of the mouth, gumline, and the upper lip. A cleft occurs when parts of the lip and/or palate do not completely fuse together. It is important to identify this condition early in your child’s life as it can have a significant impact on eating, speech development, and hearing. Dr. Snider believes that having a cleft lip and/or cleft palate should not prevent your child in any way from living his/her best life. She treats all types of clefts and will create an individualized multidisciplinary plan of care to restore your child’s function and appearance, and facilitate growth and development with minimally invasive procedures that provide the greatest long-term result.