Cleft lip and palate

Description An oral cleft is a ...

Description

An oral cleft is a gap in the lip, the palate, or both. Oral clefts occur when parts of the face and mouth don't fuse together as they develop during pregnancy. Oral clefts most often occur as a baby's only birth defect. However, they can also be linked to other problems. Clefts of the lip and palate occur in about 1 of every 800 babies born. For most oral clefts, there is no known cause.

Symptoms

Split in the lip, small to large opening in the palate, difficulty sucking or feeding, speech problems, hearing problems, ear infections, problems with teeth.

Tests

Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment

Workup:
Most diagnoses are made when the newborn is examined at birth. Some are made by an ultrasound test before birth. Minor clefts of the palate sometimes are not diagnosed until after a child starts to talk.

Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Plastic Surgery, Family Practice, Pediatric ENT (Otolaryngology), Clinical Genetics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dentistry, Dentistry - Pediatric, Pediatric Plastic Surgery

Treatment

Treatment begins at birth with counseling and feeding instructions. Clefts cause many problems and require lengthy treatment through the teen and young adult years. They are best managed by teams of professionals across multiple specialties. Surgery to close clefts of the lip is usually done at 2 to 3 months of age. The palate is frequently repaired by age 1, along with placement of ear tubes. Children typically will need orthodontic treatment. Many also will need jaw surgery. Cleft lip and cleft palate are lifelong conditions. They typically are managed with surgery, speech therapy and other methods during childhood and adolescence. Most care is complete by adulthood.