A cleft lip and/or palate is a congenital condition that occurs when the lip and/or the two halves of the palate (roof of the mouth) do not fuse properly during early development in pregnancy. This can affect one side of the face (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral), and it occurs in approximately 1 in every 600 to 800 babies.

Surgical repair is required in infancy to close the cleft and support feeding, speech, and facial development. However, children with a cleft lip and/or palate often require ongoing care into adolescence and adulthood. This may include support for speech development, dental and orthodontic needs, and hearing. Management is best provided by a multidisciplinary team, which may include paediatricians, speech language therapists, dentists, orthodontists, ENT specialists, and psychologists.

Additional surgeries may be needed as a child grows, including alveolar bone grafts (to support the upper jaw and teeth), procedures to improve speech, jaw surgery, and revision surgery to refine the lip and nose.

At Terrace Plastic Surgery, we provide the full range of surgical care for children and young adults with a cleft lip and/or palate. While some procedures can be performed in the private sector, we strongly recommend that all children remain linked with the Cleft Lip and Palate Multidisciplinary Team Clinic at Queensland Children’s Hospital. Our team is happy to assist in arranging these referrals and ensuring your child receives coordinated, comprehensive care.