Treatment of cleft palate or cleft lip should begin as soon as possible so the cleft doesn't interfere with the child's speech, physical, or psychological development. Treatment depends on:
- Overall health of child
- Severity of cleft
- Location of cleft
Surgery is typically needed. Experts recommend that the lip be repaired when the child is about three months old, and the palate be repaired when the child is one year old, but this varies depending upon the size of the cleft. During the surgery, which requires a brief hospital stay, the lip and/or palate are repaired and sutured. The child will require multiple surgeries to achieve the best results.
Because the range of problems experienced by patients with clefts is so diverse, a multi-disciplinary or team approach is needed. The team may consist of:
Medical/Surgical Experts
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
- Pediatricians
- Nurses
- Social workers
- Psychologists
- Geneticist
Dental Experts
- Dentists
- Prosthodontist
- Pedodontists
- Orthodontists
- Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon
- Oral Surgeon
Speech and Hearing Specialists
- Speech therapist
- Otolaryngologist
- Otologist
- Audiologists
- Speech Pathologist
The team will collaborate on a long-term treatment plan that will continue from birth through early adulthood. Problems that persist into early adulthood include:
- Deviated nasal septum
- Hearing impairment
- Recurring ear infections
- Malocclusion
- Abnormal craniofacial growth
- Inability to create pressure between the oral and nasal chambers
- Speech dysfunction
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