Cleft lip and cleft palate are two separate but related conditions. Cleft lip often occurs together with cleft palate, but cleft palate may occur by itself. Cleft lip and cleft palate affects around one in 700 babies born in the UK each year.

A cleft lip is a gap in the upper lip. This can range from a small notch in the coloured part of the upper lip (vermilion) to complete separation of the lip up to the base of the nose. Sometimes this occurs on one side only (unilateral cleft lip) and sometimes it occurs on both sides of the lip (bilateral cleft lip).

Cleft palate happens when the roof of the mouth fails to close together as it grows, leaving a gap up into the nose. The roof of the mouth is divided into two parts; at the back of the mouth is the soft palate and just behind the teeth is the hard bony palate. The gap can vary in size and can involve both the hard and soft palate or just the soft palate.

Cleft lip and cleft palate is often very distressing for new parents but plastic surgery and the care and support of a dedicated ‘cleft team’ can be very effective.Causes

A baby’s face develops during the early stages of pregnancy. The upper part of the face, including the lip, join together (fuse) as they grow and the palate follows in the same manner. A cleft forms when the growth and fusion doesn’t happen.

The reason why this happens is not fully understood but research is being carried out to improve our understanding of the problem. It is thought that there may be a genetic link as cleft lip and palate sometimes runs in families. It is also possible that some types of lifestyle behaviour can act as a trigger, but although some research has been done, the exact causes remain unknown.

Treatment

The main treatment for cleft lip is plastic surgery. This usually takes place between three and six months of age. Modern plastic surgery techniques mean that it is possible to get very good results.

Treatment for cleft palate usually happens a little later, at around one year of age. Again, the main treatment is surgery and in some cases follow up surgery is needed later on.

Before and after surgery, other types of therapy may be needed for some of the complications (see complications section) of cleft lip and palate. For example, speech and language therapists can help if your child has difficulty speaking