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Cleft lip and palate

Cheilognathopalatoschisis · Rozštěp rtu a patra

What it is

The lip or the roof of the mouth fails to join in the first weeks of pregnancy; about 1 in 700 babies.

Symptoms & signs

  • A gap in the upper lip
  • a gap in the roof of the mouth
  • feeding difficulties
  • nasal speech
  • ear infections and glue ear
  • dental problems

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Baby going blue or struggling to breathe during feeds
  • see a doctor soon Milk coming out of the nose or choking at feeds
  • see a doctor soon Baby not gaining weight
  • see a doctor soon Ear pain, discharge or hearing problems

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • A specialist cleft team from birth
  • special bottles and feeding support
  • lip repair at about 3 months
  • palate repair at 6–12 months
  • speech therapy, grommets, orthodontics and a bone graft

Natural & lifestyle

  • Folic acid before and in early pregnancy
  • no smoking or alcohol in pregnancy
  • expressed breast milk

Emerging & experimental

  • Fetal surgery research
  • 3D-printed nasal moulding
  • tissue-engineered bone for the gum cleft

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Higher-dose folic acid (4 mg) in at-risk families — observational benefit early / small studies
  • Traditional remedies in pregnancy — none shown to prevent clefts anecdotal / traditional

ICD codes