Due to the increased meaning of eugenics, people are taking into consideration not only the prevention of cleft lip and palate, but also the early diagnosis. Early diagnosis not only gives both parents a choice, but also allows the parents to understand and have knowledge about cleft lip and palate as early as possible so that they are not overwhelmed when the child arrives.
With the continuous improvement of the medical level and the introduction of the corresponding screening instruments, prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and palate has become possible. The basis for the application of prenatal diagnosis is ultrasound imaging, and currently the most common method of prenatal diagnosis is through ultrasound, or what we call ultrasound. However, there is a time limit for ultrasound examination of cleft lip and palate, and the best time for detection is when the amniotic fluid is high, the fetus is more mobile, and the pregnancy is 26-28 weeks. The literature reports that the rate of ultrasound lip display at this time can be as high as 90%.
Prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and palate is now routinely performed in hospitals of a certain size in some regions of China. The problem to be noted when using ultrasound for prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and palate is that any method has certain limitations. The examination of “harelip” depends on the position of the fetus in the mother’s body, first of all, the fetus’ face must be in front of the mother’s body or to the side. In addition, there must be sufficient amniotic fluid near the head of the fetus.
Ultrasound diagnosis is more accurate for complete cleft lip, but more difficult for cleft lip, mild incomplete cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft palate. With the development of imaging technology, 3D color ultrasound, 4D color ultrasound and real-time image monitoring are now widely used in clinical practice. REVERSE FACE, FLIPPED FACE and OBLIQUEFACE, which are designed to show accurate imaging of the fetal palate, have also started to enter the clinic, which will provide an accurate basis for prenatal examination.
The development of molecular biology technology has provided very favorable conditions for prenatal diagnosis of genetic diseases. It has been reported abroad that prenatal diagnosis of relevant cleft lip and palate genes can be made directly to the fetus by genetic testing of the fetus.
The significance of prenatal diagnosis: prenatal diagnosis allows the parents to be psychologically prepared and to have sufficient time to welcome and accept the birth of the baby with cleft lip and palate, and to begin to understand in advance the feeding care and treatment procedures that will follow. Most importantly, the establishment of a prenatal diagnosis allows for the earliest possible contact with the sequential treatment team after the birth of the affected child, offering the possibility of timely entry into the sequential treatment program.