This occurs when there is not enough tissue in the mouth or lip area, and the tissue available does not join together properly, a consultant maxillofacial surgeon, Seidu Bello, told PREMIUM TIMES immediately after Sharon’s surgery.
Although there are varying opinions on the actual incidence of clefts, most experts agree that in part, it depends on ethnicity. Children born with clefts find it difficult to breastfeed and also have difficulties swallowing, resulting in malnourishment. However, if the cleft is not repaired in childhood, such a person will develop speech problems, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Adegbayi Adekunle, told PREMIUM TIMES.
He said children from three months old are eligible to undergo surgical treatment but some parents hide their kids for longer years due to fear of stigmatisation. Meanwhile, luck shone on Sharon a few days after her parents decided to enrol her in a nearby school. “I cried so much because it is something I never expected to happen to me. I didn’t know anything about what this meant,” she said.
“When I need to go out, I leave Roselyn at home to avoid unnecessary stares from passersby,” she said. She said few persons who visited her home after the baby’s arrival questioned her involvement in the child’s health status. Victoria Awazie, the Senior Programme Manager West Africa for Smile Train, said about 33,000 cleft patients have been treated in Nigeria since 2007.
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