Hesperian Health Guides
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 12: Common Disabilities Present at Birth > Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
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| simple cleft lip | double cleft lip | cleft palate |
A cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth connecting with the canal of the nose.
Throughout the world, about 1 in 700 children is born with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both.
Babies with these conditions often have trouble sucking, and may choke or gag on food that gets into their nose. Usually breastfeeding is the best way to feed these children.
| Put the breast deep into the mouth so that the milk comes out on the back of the baby’s tongue. |  |
Occasionally the mother may need to get milk from her breasts by squeezing them, and then feed the milk to her baby with a spoon. |  |
| To prevent choking, feed the baby while he is sitting up with his head tilted forward a little. |  | ||
These conditions can also affect tooth formation. Cleft palate may cause ear problems that can lead to hearing loss. Correcting cleft lip and cleft palate with surgery can improve the child’s ability to eat, speak, and hear, and their quality of life. Cleft lip surgery is usually done around 3 to 6 months of age, and cleft palate surgery is usually done around 12 to 18 months of age.
A child who has had surgery to repair a cleft lip or cleft palate may still have speech problems. Help the child practice speaking and show them exercises to strengthen their lips and tongue. If a child cannot have surgery or has hearing loss because of cleft palate, learning sign language can help them communicate.