Cleft Lip

Cleft lip is the congenital deformity wherein the newborn born with the deformed lip. There is cleft in the upper lip. It may on one side or both the sides. It may or may not associated with cleft in palate also. This is psychological shock to all family members as they do not expect to take home the child with an abnormality on the exposed part of face. But this deformity is fully correctable & after surgery your child is as normal as any other child. Do not get depressed. You see a surgeon who is specialized in pediatric surgery or plastic surgery. Usually the repair is done at the age of 3 months when the child gains satisfactory weight, his/her Hb% are above 10 gm%. 10 kg/10weeks/10 gm% haemoglobin is the usual formula. The child with only cleft lip does not have any problems with sucking/ swallowing so breast feed can be continued. The aim of surgical treatment is to produce a intact lip with minimal or no cosmetic deformity, normal speech & normal dentition.The procedure is done under general anaesthesia.