Cleft Palate in Children

A child born with a cleft lip or palate should begin evaluation between one and three weeks of age. This visit gives you an opportunity to voice your questions and concerns and get information about various treatment options. This appointment may last three to five hours depending on questions you have and the complexity of your child’s problems.

During this first visit, your health care team evaluates the need for pre-surgical treatment that some children with bilateral and wide unilateral clefts of the lip and palate may need.

Most children will return for clinic appointments every six months if they have a cleft of the lip and palate, or yearly if they have a cleft lip only, until age five. These appointments give your health care team an opportunity to check on your child’s speech, facial growth, hearing, and post-surgical repair status. These appointments may take between four to six hours, depending on the number of specialties seen and questions you may have regarding the treatment plan.

We work collaboratively with providers in:

• Plastic surgery/otolaryngology
• Anesthesia
• Audiology
• Speech pathology
• Pediatric dentistry
• Pediatric psychologists
• Genetics
• Social services