Final answer:
The surgical procedure to repair a cleft palate is known as palatoplasty. It's necessary because a cleft palate occurs when the two halves of the hard palate don't fuse together properly during development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antonio was born with a cleft palate, a condition affecting the hard palate that requires surgical repair. This developmental defect occurs when the two halves of the hard palate do not completely come together and fuse at the midline during embryonic development, leaving a gap. The surgical procedure to repair this is called palatoplasty, derived from the terms 'palate' referring to the roof of the mouth, and 'plasty' meaning molding, grafting, or forming of a specified part of the body.
The hard palate forms from the palatine processes of the maxilla bones and the horizontal plates of the palatine bones fusing together. Cleft palate occurs in approximately 1:2500 births and is more common in females. Without surgical intervention, complications such as difficulty in suckling and the risk of malnutrition can arise, making surgical repair crucial for those born with this condition.