HJAR May/Jun 2023

50 MAY / JUN 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S HEALTH they meet with additional specialists, such as speech pathology and nutrition, who will be very engaged with these special infants early in life. We provide informa- tion about feeding techniques and surgical preparations for these concerned parents and provide them with useful supplies. Early infant care: evaluations, interventions, and surgeries Early on, careful assessment of breathing and feeding is essential as some infants born with clefts may have other anomalies that could affect their airway and feeding mechanisms. A cleft surgeon CLEFT LIP, cleft palate, or cleft lip and palate are among the most common con- genital disabilities, with an overall inci- dence in the United States of around 1 in 700 live births. While some are related to syndromes, many are multifactorial in their etiology. Individuals born with clefts often have other health-related conditions that will need lifelong management and benefit significantly from a team-centered approach to their care. A suitably qualified team often includes specialists in otolar- yngology, plastic surgery, oral maxillofa- cial surgery and dental subspecialties (in- cluding orthodontics), speech pathology, COLUMN CHILDREN’S HEALTH nutrition/dietetics, audiology, psychology, genetics, and pediatrics, among others. Prenatal care Many cleft lip patients are discovered on prenatal ultrasound and referred to mater- nal-fetal medicine specialists and perina- tologists for further workup and counsel- ing. Surgeons affiliated with the Arkansas Cleft Lip and Palate Team often consult and help parents understand the care their child may receive, including potential sur- geries and related treatments. These con- sultations have frequently been valuable experiences for many expectant parents as Comprehensive Cleft Care: FROM BEFORE BIRTH AND BEYOND!