We have been discussing cleft lip and palates in a variety of different topics on this blog, including surgery and medical care. However, it is important to know that there are other resources around the world (and web) that can be beneficial to helping your child overcome his cleft lip/palate birth defect. Our attorneys care about you and your family’s well-being and wish to provide a link to scholarship opportunities for students attending college.
The Cleft Palate Foundation’s College Scholarship
Our birth defects attorneys believe that the Cleft Palate Foundation is an invaluable resource of knowledge for families with members who have a cleft lip or palate, of any age. While the website itself is a great resource for knowledge, they also have an annual scholarship fund, and applications for the 2012-2013 school year are being accepted until January 1st, 2012. It is uplifting to see the past recipients of the scholarship as well, because you can see their corrective surgery, as well as the bright future ahead of them. Please submit your application to them and good luck with the selection process.
Birth Defects Attorneys of New Jersey and Philadelphia
Our professionals are available for your needs. If your child was born with a birth defect, like a cleft lip or palate, your legal rights may have been affected. For instance, the FDA has recently announced that Topamax (Topiramate) has been linked to the development of cleft lip/palates. If you believe that this drug may have contributed to the development of your child’s birth defect contact the Mininno Law Office at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia for a free case evaluation and consultation.
The data for this study, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined data gathered between 2003 and 2008: 2.1 million white nursing home residents and 346,808 black nursing home residents were studied. Although the overall number of bed sores has decreased in recent years, black patients still consistently maintained higher rates than white patients. White nursing home residents saw their total rate of bed sores decrease from 11.4 percent to around 9.6 percent in 2008. On the other hand, black nursing home residents saw their bed sore rate drop from 16.8 percent in 2003 to 14.6 percent in 2008, still significantly higher than their white counterparts. Bed sore attorneys say that the highest rates of bed sores in recent years come from black residents who live in nursing homes that have the highest concentrations of African American patients. They say that conversely, the lowest rate was among white nursing home patients who resided in homes with few or no black patients. Bed sores are a major problem in our country today and blacks and whites alike need to be aware of the potential danger that they present.
McLean and Dirnberger, the plaintiffs, claim that Eldercare’s neglect led to the extreme pain that was inflicted due to the bed sores. Bed sore attorneys also believe that the plaintiffs will argue that the defendants have violated the Illinois’ Nursing Home Care Act because of their failure to properly recognize and treat a man who was so clearly in need of assistance. The complaint also alleges that the defendants failed to properly care for McLean’s sores, also known as decubitus ulcers, which arose on several parts of the man’s body. Professionals say that there may be a claim because it appears that these employees were not properly caring for the pressure ulcers. They also argue that the defendants may be liable for their failure to properly train staff to adequately monitor patients in need. Although the outcome will be decided by a jury down the road, bed sore attorneys urge victims to seek help from their families or any healthcare provider because these sores can be extremely detrimental to a person’s health.
Once your child starts to grow, your doctor may want to discuss appliances that can be put in his or her mouth, to make speech easier. The speech bulb may be suggested, which is a plastic ball that fits into the velopharyngeal space, which is then attached to a plastic plate fitted to the roof of the mouth and held in place by wire clasps. The size of the bulb will vary depending on the size of the velopharyngeal space. The bulbs function is to stop air and sound from escaping the nose during speech. It is removed at night before bed.
Velopharyngeal dysfunction occurs when the open space between the back wall of the throat and the soft palate cannot be properly closed during speech. Unfortunately, this results in an unwanted escape of air or sound through the nose during speech. Essentially, this dysfunction may result in what is called hyper-nasal speech. The sounds that create speech come from both the nose and the mouth. When we speak, the majority of those sounds should come from the mouth alone. Closing the velopharyngeal space allows people to build pressure in the mouth and make the appropriate speech sounds. When a VPD is present, air comes through the nose that should not, and speech becomes too nasal.
Your child has a cleft lip and is about to start school and you are nervous that he or she may be the victim of a school bully. Our caring 
A Miami company, Banner Supply, sold 1.4 million sheets of the defective drywall to various builders throughout the state of Florida. Homeowners will now be compensated due to the corrosive material that was used in their homes. This problem, with Chinese drywall, began to grow in the time after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the southern coast. Chinese drywall was imported into the States in large numbers as the call to rebuild homes grew louder. 
Although this may seem overwhelming, children born with a cleft lip/palate can still have healthy teeth. Proper cleaning, good nutrition, and fluoride treatment is necessary. The teeth should be cleaned with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush, as soon as the teeth are visible. Early evaluation is critical, with many dentists recommending the first visit being scheduled at one year of age, or in some cases, even sooner. What dental work your child needs will be determined by the dentist, which can be as simple as preventative care, or can be extensive including dental surgery.
