About one in every 700 babies in this country is born with a cleft lip and/or palate. The word 'cleft' simply means 'split' or 'separation'. During early pregnancy, separate areas of the face develop individually and then join together. If some parts do not join properly the result is a cleft, the type and severity of which can vary.
Although we don't know why, the condition occurs more often in boys, and there is a slightly higher incidence in Asian children. The condition can also be hereditary, but in most cases it occurs randomly with no obvious contributing factors.
A cleft lip is usually repaired surgically by the time a baby is two to three months old, and a cleft palate is usually repaired when the baby is around six to nine months old. The next major operation is when children are eight or nine years old. An alveolar bone graft may be necessary for a cleft of the gum. This provides a platform for adult teeth to come through. After this the child may need further treatment or operations at 16 to 18 years old for jaw revisions and sometimes cosmetic surgery.
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