Maliha A., 3

Maliha Akter, a lively 3-year-old girl from a remote village in Bangladesh, has struggled with slurred speech for the past year and difficulty swallowing since she was six months old. She lives with her parents and grandparents in a small home, and her father’s monthly income of just 6,000 BDT supports six family members, making the cost of surgery impossible for them to afford. Maliha dreams of speaking fluently and joining other children in play and school, but her untreated cleft palate puts her at risk of chronic speech problems, frequent infections, and nutritional challenges. Without timely palatoplasty surgery, her growth, hearing, and overall development could be severely affected. Despite the family’s love and care, Maliha’s bright future is in danger unless she receives urgent medical treatment

This little three-year-old girl named Maliha Akter could not speak clearly because she had a tongue-tie. Difficulty in swallowing since 6 months of age. Slurred speech since one year. Diagnosis cleft plate. The patient contacted us on September 24, 2025, and came to Comilla Modern Hospital. We immediately consulted with the concerned doctor, who decided to correct the condition through surgery. We admitted the child to the hospital, and the doctor successfully performed the surgery that night. The following day, the child was discharged. Now, she is able to speak beautifully.

Not undergoing palatoplasty surgery for a cleft palate can lead to chronic speech issues like hyper nasal speech and velopharyngeal incompetence, as well as problems with eating, swallowing, and receiving proper nutrition due to the open passage between the mouth and nose. Untreated cleft palates also increase the risk of middle ear infections and hearing loss, and can cause problems with dental development and overall oral hygiene.