A cleft of lip or palate occurs when there is a partial or total failure of the lip and palate to fuse during the early stages of pregnancy. Clefts may affect the lip (on one or both sides), the palate, or both. Surgery is carried out in the early weeks of life.

Infants with clefts of the lip and/or palate should be referred to a recognised multi-disciplinary cleft team. Following the publication of the Clinical Standards Advisory Group report on cleft lip and/or palate in 1998, the number of cleft teams in the UK has been reduced. There are nine teams in England and Wales, one in Northern Ireland and three is Scotland and these new teams will provide comprehensive care from birth to maturity. Teams include surgeons, speech or language therapists, orthodontists, paediatricians and others. Early referral is encouraged.

Inheritance patterns
Slight genetic predisposition. The risk of recurrence increases with the severity of the cleft, unless the condition is part of another inheritable syndrome.

Prenatal diagnosis
Clefts of the lip are often found on the eighteen to twenty week ultrasound during pregnancy. Referral should then be made to a cleft team for discussion.

Medical text written November 1991 by Contact a Family. Approved November 1991 by Professor M Patton, Professor of Medical Genetics, St Georges Hospital Medical School, London, UK and Dr J E Wraith, Consultant Paediatrician, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester, UK. Last updated November 2004 by Mr B Sommerlad, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Cleft Lip and Palate Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.

CLAPA

CLAPA
1st Floor, Green Man Tower
332 Goswell Road
London
EC1V 7LQ
Tel: 020 7833 4883
Fax: 020 7833 5999
e-mail: info@clapa.com
Web: http://www.clapa.com

The Association is a National Registered Charity No. 1108160, established in 1979. It offers local parent-to-parent support through a nationwide network of branches, a specialist service for parents and health professionals seeking help for feeding babies with clefts and encouragement and support of research into causes and treatment. It publishes an annual Newsletter and has information available, details on request. The organisation is in touch with approximately 7,000 people and has more than 40 groups and local contacts.

Group details last confirmed Spetember 2007.