Cleft palate is a common congenital malformation. The occurrence of the vast majority of cleft palates is the result of the combined effects of genetic and environmental factors, such as nutritional deficiencies caused by vomiting and picky eating during pregnancy, certain injuries to the mother, viral infections (such as rubella, etc.), the use of certain teratogenic drugs or exposure to radiation during pregnancy, and endocrine disorders caused by some adverse stimuli during pregnancy, all of which can disrupt the growth and development environment of the embryo, affect the development of the palate, and lead to the occurrence of cleft palate.
Cleft palate is usually classified according to the degree of the cleft in the palate:
Incomplete cleft palate: The cleft involves the soft palate and part of the hard palate, often accompanied by unilateral incomplete cleft lip. The alveolar ridge of the incisor is intact and undamaged.
Unilateral complete cleft palate: The cleft starts from the uvula and extends straight to the incisive foramen, then slopes outward, generally separating from the incisor region on one side.
Bilateral complete cleft palate: Often occurs simultaneously with bilateral complete cleft lip. The cleft slants towards both sides at the lateral incisor area, leaving the nasal septum isolated and free in the center. Sometimes the palatal shelves have a tendency to shift from a horizontal to a vertical position, making the cleft larger and reducing the size of the nasal cavity.
Fistula at the junction of the soft and hard palate: This deformity is extremely rare, patients have unclear speech, and there are also deformities in the muscles of the soft palate.