CLEFT LIP / PALATE surgery is frequently performed by plastic surgeons to correct a birth defect.  In the early weeks of development, long before a child is born, the right and left sides of the lip and the roof of the mouth normally grow together.  Occasionally, however, in about one of every 800 babies, those sections don’t quite meet.  A child born with a separation in the upper lip is said to have a cleft lip.  A similar birth defect in the roof of the mouth, or palate,  is called a cleft palate.  Since the lip and the palate develop separately, it is possible for a child to have a cleft lip, a cleft palate or variations of both.  When a child is born with either one or both of these conditions, the pediatrician will probably recommend surgery to repair it.

     Successful results depend on many variable, individual circumstances, including the severity of the defect and the child’s overall health.  However, medical professionals have made great advances in treating children with clefts, which can help the child lead a normal, healthy, happy life.  A “team approach” is often the best way to deal with cleft lip and/or palate treatment.  The child may require the skills of many medical professionals in addition to a plastic surgery to repair the opening, including a pediatrician, a dentist, a speech and language specialist, a social worker, a hearing specialist, and ear-nose-throat specialist and possibly many others.