A gel that may soon heal the misery of cleft palates in kids, have been developed by Oxford scientists.

Those most severely affected can suffer problems with their speech and appearance for years to come, although they can be corrected through surgery.

The gel is "significantly better than anything we can do now", said researcher David Bucknall.

According to the reports of dailymail. co. uk, the gel is similar to the one used in soft contact lenses. It slowly absorbs water, swelling to 10 times its original size.

The researchers plan to insert small discs of the gel under the skin, close to the cleft, which expand as they take in water from the body and new skin grows over them. The discs are removed after six or eight weeks and the fresh skin used to stitch up the cleft.

It has been hoped by the researchers that the technique could be in use by 2013. (With Inputs from Agencies)