Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate 

Evidence  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3873527/ 

Mahdi A. Shkoukani, Michael Chen, and Angela Vong 

The congenital cleft lip is a deformity that arises from a genetic or environmental insult during formation of the maxilla and palate in the first trimester of gestation. The ethology of the non-syndromic form is multifactorial and likely involves maternal exposures to teratogens such as tobacco. Cleft lip causes varying degrees of oral sphincter dysfunction, difficulty with speech, and abnormal appearance of the upper lip and nose. The main objectives of surgical repair are to restore normal feeding capacity, speech development, and facial aesthetics at an early age before problems arise. 

Education  

Cleft lip and cleft palate are common birth differences where a baby’s lip or the roof of their mouth (palate) does not form properly during pregnancy. The baby’s face develops by growing from the sides and meeting in the middle, but sometimes the tissue doesn’t fully connect. 

• Cleft lip happens when the lip doesn’t join completely, which can occur on one or both sides, or in rare cases, in the middle. 

• Cleft palate happens when the roof of the mouth doesn’t fully close. It can affect both the front and back parts of the palate or just one area. Some babies have only a cleft lip, only a cleft palate, or both. 

The exact cause isn’t always known. A cleft can be linked to genetics or other factors like: 

• Smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy 

• Poor nutrition during pregnancy 

• Diabetes 

• Certain medications

Diagnosis and Treatment 

A cleft may be seen on an ultrasound around 18-20 weeks of pregnancy, but sometimes it’s only found at birth. 

Surgery can repair a cleft: 

• Cleft lip surgery usually happens in the first few months of life. 

• Cleft palate surgery is often done around 9 months old but may require further surgeries as the child grows.

A cleft lip or palate can cause: 

• Feeding difficulties (especially with a cleft palate, since sucking requires a full palate). Special bottle teats, spoon-feeding, or a feeding tube may be needed. 

• Hearing problems 

• Speech delays 

• Dental issues

Empowerment  

Whether the cleft was found during pregnancy or after birth you may feel shocked, upset and concerned for your child’s future. It is reassuring to know that with treatment, most children with clefts will do well and go on to live a healthy life.  

Parent support groups can be valuable to discuss with other families the challenges that they face and how best to cope with them, to feel less alone may be just what you need.  

Useful Links 

Cleft Connect  

www.cleftconnect.org.au 

The Australasian Cleft Lip and Palate Association  

www.cleft.org.au 

Through the unexpected 

https://throughtheunexpected.org.au/ 

Panda - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia 

https://panda.org.au/ 

For When – Perinatal Mental health and wellbeing 

https://forwhenhelpline.org.au/