Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip

Cleft palates and cleft lips are disorders that result in an opening in the lip or an opening in the roof of the mouth (palate). Cleft palates and cleft lips can occur alone or together and can be bilateral or unilateral. Cleft palates and cleft lips can negatively affect a child's feeding, hearing, and speaking. Children and families with cleft palates or cleft lips should see a speech language pathologist, an audiologist, and an ENT, as middle ear trouble is common in children with cleft palate and can lead to hearing loss. Many children with cleft palate and cleft lip will need repairative surgery, but SLP's can address the children's speech and help to develop and strengthen the appropriate facial muscles, articulators, and palatal muscles. Many children with clefts will have difficulty eating, especially as infants, because milk will often come out of their noses. This can lead to malnutrition. Parents and families can have difficulty coping with the physical appearance of cleft palates or cleft lips and the challenges associated with caring for a child with a cleft. Doctors, SLPs, ENTs, Audiologists, and other families familiar with clefts can be a great support and resource for families with children with clefts. More information on cleft lips and cleft palates can be at http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/CleftLip/ or the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (http://www.acpa-cpf.org/).
Below are examples of a cleft palate and cleft lip found on google images.