Cleft Lip and Palate: Here’s what you need to know

SOURCE: Help a Child Face Tomorrow (HCFT)

Help a Child Face Tomorrow (HCFT) is an African humanitarian medical organization with its headquarters in Nairobi, which is active in Sub-Saharan Africa with a mission to improve the health and lives of people living in extreme poverty.

Every year, HCFT together with The Nairobi Hospital arranges for free reconstructive surgeries for those suffering from Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate deformity.

In Kenya, one in every 500 births result in a Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate deformity.

WHAT CAUSES CLEFT LIP AND PALATE?

Birth defects that affect the upper lip and the roof of the mouth are a result of problems with genes passed down from one or both parents, drugs, alcohol, smoking, viruses, and toxins. In addition to the appearance, babies born with these defects will have problems with feeding, speech, and ear infections, just to name a few.

Recently, on 8th and 9th of September, 2018, HCFT and The Nairobi Hospital successfully completed several free reconstructive surgeries.

Watch the video below:

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