The Royal College of Surgeons has reported that too many babies born with cleft palates are being diagnosed late, causing unnecessary distress.
What Is Cleft Palate?
A cleft palate is a gap in the roof of the mouth. This can lead to difficulties sucking adequately and problems with feeding. The condition can also lead to both hearing and speech difficulties and it can indicate that there may be other problems with the heart or nervous system.
The condition affects around 500 babies each year in the UK. It is difficult to identify in a scan during pregnancy but the national guidelines stipulate that the problem should be diagnosed within 24 hours of birth. This would then allow for quick referral to specialist medics including surgeons, nurses and orthodontists.
Cleft Palate Delayed Diagnosis – Concerns Raised by the Royal College of Surgeons
The concerns of the Royal College of Surgeons comes as figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland showed that more than a quarter of cases were not picked up within the required 24 hours after birth.
The Crane Database, a national register of information on those born with a cleft lip or palate, published a report which says that last year, 28% of babies with a cleft palate did not get a diagnosis within 24 hours of birth and 5% of cases had not been picked up after a month.
Scott Deacon, the Clinical Lead of the Crane Database was reported as saying that there is a need for stronger guidelines as the failure to diagnose the problem can cause parents great anxiety and distress.
The Cleft Lip and Palate Association backed the call for better early diagnosis. Rosanna Preston from the Association was reported as saying:
“For any parent, noticing that your baby is not eating, feeding properly or gaining weight is terribly worrying. Many parents will initially blame themselves until the cause is found and worries about their baby’s health can affect those crucial early days of bonding; the sooner they can get support, the better.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health said:
“We expect that NHS organisations will want to follow NICE [National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence] guidelines on postnatal care, so that mothers and new babies receive the vital support they need.”
The figures demonstrate that the effectiveness of the guidelines currently in place needs to be reviewed.
It is important that conditions such as cleft palate are referred to specialist teams as soon as possible not only so that the child can receive appropriate care and treatment promptly, but also so that the parents and family of the child get the vital support that they need.
How Can Nelsons Help?
Danielle Young is an Associate in our Medical Negligence team.
If you have any questions in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, then please get in touch with Danielle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.