Cleft Lip and Palate - A Review Article

Abstract

Craniofacial anomalies, and in particular cleft lip and palate, are major human birth defects with a worldwide frequency of 1 in 700 and substantial clinical impact. The cause of clefts is multifactorial with both genetic and environmental input and intensive research efforts have yielded significant advances in recent years facilitated by molecular technologies in the genetic field. In 2008, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised that non-communicable diseases, including birth defects cause significant infant mortality and childhood morbidity and have included cleft lip and palate in their Global Burden of Disease (GBD) initiative. This will further facilitate the birth defects registration and international efforts aimed at improving quality of care and ultimately prevention of non-syndromic clefts of the lip and palate. Keywords: Cleft lip, Cleft palate, Dentistry, Etiology, Management. .