John Blankenship will have another surgery next summer to close the hole in the roof of his mouth. His family is so grateful ...

What Are Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate? Cleft lip and cleft palate are facial and oral differences that occur very early in pregnancy, while the fetus is developing inside the uterus. When the tissues in ...

Babies born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, or both, will face some additional challenges in the early years of their lives, and so will their parents. Babies with clefts need to have surgery, learn ...

Cleft lip and palate surgery is a procedure that can correct a common birth irregularity. It’s typically performed in infancy and can correct issues with feeding, speech, and appearance. Share on ...

Around one in 700 babies worldwide are born with a cleft lip or palate. However, many parents and carers have little idea of how clefts affect children’s ability to make speech sounds and learn ...

FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Using a nerve blocker before surgery to correct cleft palate can reduce or eliminate ...

It's estimated that every three minutes, somewhere in the world a baby is born with a cleft lip or palate, making it one of the most common birth defects. Eighteen-year-old Emma Johnston was born with ...

A cleft lip occurs when there is a split or opening in the lip. This opening can be small or large enough to connect the upper lip and nose. A cleft palate occurs when the roof of the mouth does not ...

Cleft lip or palate affects one in 700 babies in the United States and the United Kingdom. The reason for this defect lies in defects normal development of the face within the mother’s womb. The exact ...

Cleft lip and cleft palate are structural abnormalities that form during fetal development. Without treatment, a cleft can make speaking and eating difficult and lead to various other challenges.