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Hare lip is the colloquial name of a disease, which is a cleft lip or palate. This disease is a serious developmental defect, the consequence of which are numerous disorders. Hare lip affects almost 800 newborns in Poland every year. Specialists do not indicate clear causes of this disease, and the only way to treat cleft palate is surgery.
What is a hare lip?
A hare lip, i.e. a cleft lip or palate, is a congenital malformation. A cleft palate is a fissure that occurs where the lip has not completely healed during the shaping process. Hare lip is the most common dysfunction located within the mouth. Cleft palate is classified into:
- Total cleft
- Incomplete cleft
- Right cleft
- Left cleft
- Bilateral cleft
- Central cleft
A cleft lip occurs during fetal development, more precisely between the 4th and 7th week of pregnancy. The cleft palate, on the other hand, takes place between the 5th and 12th week of the fetus’ life.
Hare lip – causes of the disease
Specialists do not identify one specific cause responsible for the development of a hare lip. Genetic factors are the most frequently cited cause of hare lip formation. In addition, the formation of hare lip may also be influenced by external or environmental factors, including:
- Parental age – the risk of the disease increases if the parents are over 40.
- Smoking tobacco.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Taking certain medications, especially corticosteroids.
- Frequent contact with chemicals, for example pesticides or solvents.
- Inadequate diet of the future mother – folic acid deficiency.
- Getting sick with rubella during pregnancy.
- Performing tests that use X-rays
- Excessive stress or overweight during pregnancy.
In addition to the above causes of hairy lip, attention is also paid to diabetes, kidney failure or circulation problems in the future mother, as well as damage to the structure of the sperm protein in the future father.
Hare lip – diagnostics
A cleft lip can be diagnosed during an ultrasound examination during a routine visit. Hare lip is most often diagnosed around the 22nd week of pregnancy. If a baby is diagnosed with a cleft lip or a cleft palate, the parents and the attending physician should prepare for the delivery in a special way. This is due to the fact that in the case of genetic defects, complications often occur during labor. The craniofacial malformations are strongly associated with such abnormalities as premature detachment of the placenta or premature rupture of the membranes.
Treatment of a hare lip
Treatment for a hare lip requires surgery. This is the only way to cure a cleft palate or lip so far. The success of an operation is the greater, the sooner the operation is performed. Therefore, surgery to remove a hare lip usually takes place in the first few months of a baby’s life. Sometimes it is necessary to perform several consecutive treatments to improve the shape of the nose or mouth, as well as to reduce the visibility of the scar.
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