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Summary
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby's lip or mouth do not form properly. They happen early during pregnancy. A baby can have a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both.
A cleft lip happens if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth. This causes an opening in the upper lip. The opening can be a small slit or a large opening that goes through the lip into the nose. It can be on one or both sides of the lip or, rarely, in the middle of the lip.
Children with a cleft lip also can have a cleft palate. The roof of the mouth is called the "palate." With a cleft palate, the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join correctly. Babies may have both the front and back parts of the palate open, or they may have only one part open.
Children with a cleft lip or a cleft palate often have problems with feeding and talking. They also might have ear infections, hearing loss, and problems with their teeth.
Often, surgery can close the lip and palate. Cleft lip surgery is usually done before age 12 months, and cleft palate surgery is done before 18 months. Many children have other complications. They may need additional surgeries, dental and orthodontic care, and speech therapy as they get older. With treatment, most children with clefts do well and lead a healthy life.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Treatments and Therapies
- Bone Grafting the Cleft Maxilla (Cleft Palate Foundation)
- Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) - PDF
- Treatment for Adults (with Cleft Lip and Palate) (Cleft Palate Foundation) Also in Spanish
Living With
- Dental Care for a Child with Cleft Lip and Palate (Cleft Palate Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Feeding Your Child With a Cleft (Nemours Foundation)
- What about Breastfeeding? (Cleft Palate Foundation) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Help with Hearing (Cleft Palate Foundation) - PDF
Specifics
- Cleft Lip (Nemours Foundation)
- Cleft Palate (Nemours Foundation)
- Cleft Palate With Cleft Lip (Nemours Foundation)
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Learning about Velocardiofacial Syndrome
(National Human Genome Research Institute)
- Replacing a Missing Tooth (Cleft Palate Foundation) - PDF
- Speech Development (Cleft Palate Foundation) Also in Spanish
Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: ankyloblepharon-ectodermal defects-cleft lip/palate syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: focal dermal hypoplasia
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Opitz G/BBB syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Peters plus syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: popliteal pterygium syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: RAPADILINO syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Roberts syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: van der Woude syndrome
(National Library of Medicine)
Images
- Cleft lip repair - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Cleft Lip
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Cleft Palate
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Teenagers
- Cleft Lip and Palate (Nemours Foundation)
Patient Handouts
- Cleft lip and palate (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cleft lip and palate repair (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cleft lip and palate repair - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish