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Page: Cleft Lip and Palate
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Cleft lip and cleft palate, which can also occur together as cleft lip and palate are variations of a type of clefting congenital deformity caused by abnormal facial development during gestation. This type of deformity is sometimes referred to as a cleft. A cleft is a sub-division in the body's natural structure, regularly formed before birth. A cleft lip or palate can be treated with surgery shortly after birth with highly successful results. Cleft lips or palates occur in somewhere between one in 600 and one in 800 births. The term hare lip is sometimes used colloquially to describe the condition because of the resemblance of a hare's lip. It is interesting to note that in Lun Heng (Chapter 6), the first century AD Wang Chong said, "If a pregnant woman eats rabbit, the baby will have a cleft lip." The Chinese word for cleft lip is tuchun, literally harelip.
A microform cleft is a very minor cleft where no surgery is required to correct it. A microform cleft can appear as small as a little dent in the red part of the lip or look like a scar. Joaquin Phoenix for example has a microform cleft (see famous people with a cleft below).
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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