Cleft lip and cleft palate

Cleft lip and cleft palate are conditions that affect the lips and mouths of many children. At the Center for Fetal Care, we provide the complete support your baby needs for a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both.

When possible, detecting a cleft lip or palate in the womb helps us plan treatment after birth. We then partner with top craniofacial and plastic surgeons at Advocate Children’s Hospital for the latest cleft lip and palate repairs. Our team also supports your child’s dental health and ability to speak and hear.

Learn more about what to expect when you come to us for your baby’s care.

What are cleft lip and cleft palate?

Clefts are unusual openings from bones and soft tissues not forming properly, typically in early pregnancy. A split in the upper lip is called cleft lip, and an opening in the roof of the mouth is called cleft palate. Cleft lip and palate can occur on one or both sides of the lip or mouth. Babies can have a cleft lip, a cleft palate or both.

What causes cleft lip and cleft palate?

Why clefts form is not fully understood, though research suggests they can result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors may include:

• Exposure to certain substances during pregnancy, including tobacco smoke, alcohol or some medications
• Family history of cleft lip or cleft palate
• Genetic changes inherited from one or both parents
• Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)

Cleft lip and cleft palate symptoms and signs

Signs of a cleft lip or cleft palate include:

• Split on one or both sides of the upper lip, ranging from a notch to a complete separation
• Split on one or both sides of the roof of the mouth

In some cases, a baby may have a submucous cleft palate, which is frequently hard to see. The split occurs in the muscles of the soft palate, with the mouth’s lining covering the cleft. Signs and symptoms of a submucous cleft palate include:

• Bifid (split) uvula, a small piece of tissue that hangs in the back of the throat
• Difficulty swallowing and feeding, with foods or liquids coming out the nose
• Frequent ear infections

Challenges with cleft lip and cleft palate

Cleft lip and palate can cause challenges because of unusual bone and tissue development in the mouth. Repairs can ease these issues but may not completely relieve them.

As your child gets older, specialists at Advocate Children’s Hospital can provide ongoing care. Your child may need treatment and therapies for challenges such as:

• Dental problems
• Difficulty forming sounds for speech
• Hearing loss
• Nasal tone of voice
• Social, behavioral and emotional issues due to difficulty coping with a cleft

Cleft lip and cleft palate diagnosis

Doctors usually see cleft lip and palate before birth, often as early as 14 weeks, using 3D ultrasound. We also refer you to our genetics program for a consultation and evaluation.

Learn more about ultrasound and other imaging we use to diagnose fetal conditions.

It helps to identify a cleft lip or cleft palate before your baby is born. Finding these conditions early provides time to plan your baby’s surgery during the first few months of life. We also connect you with feeding and oral-motor specialists to meet your baby’s feeding and other needs before and after surgery.

Cleft lip and cleft palate treatment

Treatment for clefts includes surgery to close the opening and improve your child’s ability to speak, eat and swallow. We also provide therapies to help your child eat, speak and hear well.

Surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate

We coordinate your child’s treatment with pediatric craniofacial and plastic surgeons who specialize in cleft palate and cleft lip repair. We typically recommend surgeries at certain ages:

• Cleft lip repair from three months of age to six months
• Cleft palate repair before age one

Some children may need surgery to place ear tubes that help prevent fluid from building up in their ears. Our pediatric ENTs (ear, nose and throat specialists) have advanced training in ear tube surgery to reduce the risk of hearing loss. At our pediatric Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic, surgeons, speech-language pathologists, audiologists and other providers offer specialized surgery and therapies.

Therapies for cleft lip and cleft palate

We offer therapies to help with complications of cleft lip and cleft palate. Your child can receive these treatments anytime from age two through their late teens. Pediatric specialists at Advocate Children’s Hospital offer therapies and services that include:

• Dental and orthodontic care for proper tooth development and alignment
• Feeding aids such as special bottle nipples
• Hearing aids
• Speech-language therapy to improve speaking ability
• Treatment for ear infections