Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

Overview

Prenatal ultrasound can diagnose most clefts of the lip because these clefts cause physical changes in the fetus’s face. Isolated cleft palate (with no cleft lip present) is harder to detect this way. Only 7% of these appear on a prenatal ultrasound.

If an ultrasound doesn’t detect a cleft before birth, a physical exam of the mouth, nose and palate can diagnose cleft lip or cleft palate after birth.

In some cases, your provider may recommend amniocentesis to check for associated genetic conditions. Amniocentesis is a procedure to remove amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac.

Can you detect cleft lip before birth?

Most healthcare providers detect cleft lip at your 20-week ultrasound (anatomy scan), which occurs between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. Providers may discover it as early as 12 weeks. It’s more challenging to detect cleft palate on an ultrasound.

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Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Diagnosis & treatment

Living with atrial fibrillation?

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