ants studied with either or both defects, also had other birth defects which usually involved the spine, arms, legs, or heart; those with a complete cleft were more likely to have associated malformations than those with only one defect. Many were born prematurely, had more than one defect, a mental disorder, or a syndrome associated with genetic abnormalities. The most common anomaly found for this study was congenital heart disease; cardiovascular malformations were found in 24% of the infants.
Adults with cleft lip and palate were studied by Suzuki, Yamaguchi, and Furukawa (1999). Patients were found to manifest many anatomical and physiological impairments; included were otologic, audiologic, and rhinologic disorders. Nasal airway obstruction was considered one of the most vital situations due to its high prevalence and restricted nasal respiration. This problem damages the lower respiratory tract epithelium and can induce a parasympathetic reflex that leads to increased lower airway resistance. Abnormal dentofacial growth can occur and upper airway blockage may lead to snoring, sleep disturbances, hypertension, and arrhythmia. This study found that maxillary sinusitis was associated with cleft lip and palate; computed tomographic scans of the maxilla, showed it was dependent on the cleft side and the deviated nasal septum.
Causes of most birth defects are not known, h
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