Case Report
Year: 2021 | Month: October-December | Volume: 6 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 71-75
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20211011
Feeding Appliance for an Infant with Cleft Palate: A Case Report
Hilal Ahmad Hela1, Shazana Nazir2, Mehvash Qazi3
1,3PG Student, 2Asst. Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, GDC Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
Corresponding Author:Shazana Nazir
ABSTRACT
The cleft palate is a ‘‘congenital defect of the middle third of the face that occurs when an oro-nasal communication is present between the palate and the base of the nose. Single genes, chromosomal disorders or environmental factors may cause clefts. The other possible causes are hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, infections, radiation during pregnancy, alcohol or cigarette consumption, the ingestion of other teratogenic substances by the mother, and heredity. Immediate problems to be addressed in a new born with this defect would be to aid in suckling and swallowing other problems associated later would be difficulty in speech, altered appearance, many dental problems and psychological problems. Feeding plate (obturator) rehabilitates the oro-nasal gap and helps in feeding and in reduction of airway problems, frequent infections and regurgitations. This paper presents a case report of an infant with cleft palate (Veau II) in whom a feeding plate was delivered, with a simple impression method, which helped the infant feed and restores the proper weight required for cleft palate reconstructive surgery in future.
Keywords: Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, Infant, Obturator