Cleft lip and cleft palate occur when the roof of the mouth or sides of the lip do not fuse together as a baby develops. These anomalies can affect a child's feeding and speech development.

What Early Steps Can Be Taken?

Many times, cleft lip and cleft palate are diagnosed during a prenatal ultrasound. In these cases, the CHKD craniofacial team will meet with you before your baby is born to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. During these prenatal consultations the team will help you understand what to expect and how to prepare for your child’s birth.

Read About a CHKD Patient's Cleft Surgery

Why Choose Us?

  • CHKD’s works to correct cleft lip and cleft palate as early as possible to improve maternal bonding, eating and speech.
  • CHKD offers a fully approved cleft palate-craniofacial team that meets the standards set by the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association and the Cleft Palate Foundation. This accreditation ensures that your child is receiving the most comprehensive and current craniofacial/cleft care.
  • Our goal is to treat your child – body and mind – by improving physical function and appearance while addressing the associated medical, education and social needs that might arise from their conditions.
  • Our team combines years of experience with the latest technology to determine the best plan of care for each child.

Treatment

From learning how to feed your newborn with specialized bottles and techniques, to expert craniofacial reconstruction and speech therapy, CHKD cleft lip and palate treatment plans offer the comprehensive care your child needs to grow and thrive.

Refer Your Child To CHKD's Craniofacial Center

As Your Child Grows

As children born with cleft lip or cleft palate get older they may need alveolar bone grafting surgery.

Read Our Guide to Aveolar Bone Grafting Surgery

This video below from CHKD's Craniofacial Center will help prepare patients for the surgery.