What is a schisis (harelip)?

Schisis (Greek for cleft) is a congenital facial defect characterized by a cleft or groove in the upper lip (harelip), jaw or palate. The cleft may be limited to the upper lip, but may also extend into the upper jaw, and in the most severe cases into the entire palate up to the uvula. Clefting of only the palate or even just the uvula also occurs. The cleft can be single-sided (unilateral), or double-sided (bilateral).

Besides the fact that a harelip is not considered beautiful, there are other disadvantages. As a baby, problems begin immediately after birth with difficulty drinking. Often breastfeeding causes fewer problems than bottle feeding.

When does a schisis develop?

A schisis occurs as early as the first weeks of pregnancy because the cleft, which is a normal stage in embryonic development, does not close.

Schisis in Peru occurs in 1 to 2 children born each year out of 500 (in the Netherlands about 350 children are born with a schisis (harelip)). The cause of schisis is not entirely known, but it is known that a genetic element plays a role: if one of the parents has a form of schisis the chance increases to 7%.

The difference between the Netherlands and Peru

Unlike the Netherlands, the treatment of Schisis in Peru, is rarely covered by insurance, sometimes closing the lip, but nothing more. While children with schisis should be treated by a team of specialists: the schisis team. PAZHolandesa has such teams. The teams include specialists in pediatrics, plastic surgery, orthodontics, ENT, speech therapy, oral and maxillofacial surgery, special dentistry and psychology.