Authors

Elise Sims

Document Type

Honors Project

First Advisor

Dr. Michael Hill

Degree Award Date

Spring 2006

Keywords

Historical, Biological, Psychological, Review, Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate

Disciplines

Medical Sciences | Musculoskeletal, Neural, and Ocular Physiology

Abstract

What do a twenty-first century American movie star, a malnourished child in Africa, a famous poet, and a prince of the Ming dynasty in the late fifteenth century all have in common? They all suffer from a craniofacial anomaly commonly known as a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. This paper will discuss the first historical records of those inflicted with this anomaly, different varieties of clefting that occur, worldwide statistics, developmental and genetic causes, and possible environmental causes. The paper will conclude with the psychological and psychosocial effects that clefting has on patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CLIP), including the surgeries and therapy endured for a 'normal' life with full craniofacial function.

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