Cleft lip is a common birth defect that surgery can help

A bilateral cleft lip is a common birth defect in which a baby’s lip doesn’t form properly, resulting in splits (clefts) on both sides of the lip.

The gap is there because parts of the baby’s face did not join together properly during development in the womb. A cleft lip and palate is the most common facial birth defect in the UK, affecting around one in every 700 babies.

Babies can be born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both.

A cleft lip may affect just one side of the lip, or there may be two clefts.

It can range from a small notch to a wide gap that reaches the nose.

A cleft palate may just be an opening at the back of the mouth, or it may be a split in the palate that runs all the way to the front of the mouth.

Sometimes it can be hidden by the lining of the roof of the mouth. A cleft lip and cleft palate can cause a number of issues, particularly in the first few months after birth, before surgery is done.

Problems can include: difficulty feeding; hearing problems due to ear infections and a build-up of fluid in the ears; dental problems caused by teeth not developing correctly and being prone to decay; and speech problems, such as unclear or nasal-sounding speech when a child is older.

The majority of children treated for cleft lip or palate grow up to have completely normal lives.

Most affected children will not have any other serious medical problems and treatment can usually improve the appearance of the face and problems with feeding and speech.

Surgery to repair a cleft lip may leave a small pink scar above the lips.

This fades over time and becomes less noticeable as the child gets older.