How successful is cleft palate surgery

Children with a cleft lip or palate will need several treatments and assessments as they grow up.

A cleft is usually treated with surgery.

Other treatments, such as speech therapy and dental care, may also be needed.

Your child will be cared for by a specialist cleft team at an NHS cleft centre.

Your child's care plan

Children with clefts will have a care plan tailored to meet their individual needs.

A typical care plan timetable for cleft lip and palate is:

• birth to 6 weeks – feeding assistance, support for parents, hearing tests and paediatric assessment
• 3 to 6 months – surgery to repair a cleft lip
• 6 to 12 months – surgery to repair a cleft palate
• 18 months – speech assessment
• 3 years – speech assessment
• 5 years – speech assessment
• 8 to 12 years – bone graft to repair a cleft in the gum area
• 12 to 15 years – orthodontic treatment and monitoring jaw growth

Your child will also need to attend regular outpatient appointments at a cleft centre so their condition can be monitored closely and any problems can be dealt wi

when can a cleft lip be repaired

when is cleft lip and palate repaired