It is estimated that one in every 100 thousand babies is born with a cleft lip and palate in the country. This is the most common facial deformity and it is not a disability.
The National Children’s Hospital has the Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic, one of the most prestigious in Latin America.
Dr. Maria del Carmen Navas is the director of this area. Although HNN professionals travel abroad to share their knowledge on the subject, she insists that the most important thing is not recognition, but that minors they receive the best care, treatments, and surgeries.
She explained those children have completely normal lives. Although some need more complex care, the truth is that after surgeries and therapies, they live without language problems or significant facial scars.
When a mother realizes, by means of an ultrasound, that her baby has a cleft lip or palate, she can contact the HNN immediately to prepare the best care for her baby.