What Are Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate?
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that happen when the tissues forming a baby’s upper lip or the roof of the mouth (palate) don’t join together completely during early pregnancy.
A baby may have a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. The cleft can affect one side of the lip (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral), and a cleft palate can involve part or all of the roof of the mouth.
Help us prevent Oral Clefts
If your child has been born with cleft lip and/or palate, you wonder if they will ever have smiles like these happy children. Now thanks to modern surgical techniques, they can smile like other kids. But, it can take many years of surgical procedures to achieve these results. You wouldn’t trade your precious child for anything, but you wish that they had never gone through all of this.
This is why Birth Defect Research for Children exists. We sponsor the National Birth Defect Registry, a scientifically endorsed research project that can identify causes of birth defects.
Our data have been presented to regulatory authorities; government agencies; for community advocacy; in media reports and studies with scientists. Help other families learn more about the causes of cleft lip and/or palate so more cases can be prevented. Just click the button below to go to the National Birth Defect Registry and share your information.
How Common Are These Conditions?
In the United States, about 1 in 1,031 babies is born with a cleft lip, with or without a cleft palate. Cleft palate alone occurs in about 1 in 1,563 babies. Exact rates vary somewhat depending on the specific type of cleft and the population studied.
What Causes Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate?
Most researchers believe the cause is a mix of genetic and environmental factors that affect how the lip and palate develop early in pregnancy.
Some children have a family history of clefts; many don’t. A few factors are linked to higher risk, including smoking during pregnancy, diabetes that existed before pregnancy, and certain medications (including some epilepsy drugs). None of these factors means an exposure definitely caused any individual child’s cleft, they simply raise the odds on a population level.
How Are They Diagnosed?
Cleft lip is sometimes visible on a routine prenatal ultrasound. Cleft palate is often harder to detect before birth and may not be found until an exam after delivery. Some milder forms, like submucous cleft palate, aren’t diagnosed until later in childhood.
Treatment and Care
Children with cleft lip and/or palate typically work with a team of specialists who tailor a treatment plan to the child’s needs. Care may include:
- Surgery – Cleft lip repair is usually done in the first few months of life. Cleft palate repair usually happens within the first 18 months, depending on the child’s health and the care team’s plan.
- Feeding support – Some babies struggle to create enough suction to breastfeed or bottle-feed. A feeding specialist, lactation consultant, or cleft team can help find a method that works, and specialized bottles are sometimes useful.
- Hearing care – Fluid buildup, ear infections, and hearing problems are more common with cleft palate. Regular hearing checks help catch issues early.
- Speech and language – Some children have differences in speech or resonance. Speech-language pathologists can assess development and recommend therapy if needed.
- Dental care – Regular checkups track tooth development; some children need specialized dental or orthodontic treatment.
Additional procedures or treatments are sometimes needed as the child grows.
Growing Up With Cleft Lip and/or Palate
With coordinated care, most children with cleft lip and/or palate grow up healthy and active. Every child’s path is different, some need ongoing medical, dental, speech, hearing, or surgical follow-up over the years.
Emotional, social, and practical support matters too. Cleft care teams can help families plan ahead for their child’s treatment and overall well-being.
Resources for Families
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
- American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA)
Fact Sheet by:
Birth Defect Research Children, Inc.
www.birthdefects.org
