During which week of pregnancy does cleft lip occur?
Aug 28, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lv Aiming
Introduction
Cleft lip is a common congenital malformation. During the early stages of embryonic development, the facial structures of the embryo begin to form. Around the sixth week, the primitive facial structures start to fuse, forming the lip and palate plates. Between the seventh and ninth weeks, these plates continue to develop and merge, forming a complete upper and lower lip. If developmental abnormalities occur during this process, cleft lip may result.
Cleft lip generally occurs between the 6th and 9th week of pregnancy. The detailed analysis is as follows:
Cleft lip is a common congenital malformation. During early embryonic development, the facial structures of the embryo begin to form. Around the 6th week, the primitive facial structures start to fuse, forming the lip and palate plates. Between the 7th and 9th weeks, these plates further develop and merge to form a complete upper and lower lip. If developmental abnormalities occur during this process, the fusion of the lip and palate plates may be disrupted, leading to cleft lip. Cleft lip can be unilateral, affecting only one side of the upper or lower lip, or bilateral, affecting both sides of the upper and lower lips. It may result from genetic and environmental factors during embryonic development, as well as maternal nutritional status, medication use, and diseases.
Treatment for cleft lip typically involves surgical repair, usually performed when the infant is several months old, to restore normal lip appearance and function. Additionally, patients may require other treatments such as speech therapy and orthodontic correction.
