Cleft Lip and Palate

An incomplete formation of the upper lip or roof of the mouth (palate), leaving a hole or notch in the affected area. Clefting is a common birth defect and may be surgically repaired. It may occur alone or as part of a genetic syndrome. Visit these Clefting links to learn more:

About Us: Oral Clefting Brochure - The most common malformations of the head and neck region are clefts of the lip and palate which occur once in every 500 to 1,000 births. Clefts occur in infants of all races. A cleft is due to the failure of fusion of parts of the lip or roof of the mouth during the early months of development of the unborn child.

Family: Cleft Lip with or without Cleft Palate Introductory Article - Each year in the United States, more than 5,000 newborns—about 1 out of every 700 births—are born with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP). A cleft lip is a hole or gap in the upper lip. Cleft lip may occur either alone or with a cleft palate, which is an opening in the roof of the mouth.

Family: September 1998 Newsletter for FACES - Of the over 5,500 known inherited conditions in man, over 700 involve malformations of the craniofacial region, and over 300 have cleft lip with or without cleft palate. This highly diverse group of disorders is due to many different environmental and genetic causes and their interactions with one another..

Family: Normal Palate Development - Quicktime Video | Flash Animation

Physician: Cleft Lip with or without Cleft Palate Advanced Article - Cleft lip with or without cleft palate occurs approximately 1 in 1000 births in the Caucasian population. There is a significant racial difference in frequency, however, with Native Americans and Asians affected more frequently, and African Americans affected less frequently than the white population. Boys are more often affected than girls, and the cleft is much more commonly one sided (80%) than bilateral (20%).

Scientist: Craniofacial Development in the Mouse - Dr. Semenza’s laboratory has generated transgenic mice which carry a 34-kb DNA fragment encompassing the entire human MSX-2 gene as well as critical regulatory regions that determine the temporal and spatial pattern of gene expression during development. In the transgenic offspring a number of craniofacial malformations were observed including facial clefts, exencephaly, clefting of the secondary palate, and mandibular hypoplasia.

CCDD Symposium: Abstract: Severity of Cleft Lip Deformity and Social Adjustment - Children and adults with oral-facial clefts are sterotyped and disadvantaged socially and economically. They have, on the average, a lower income, are less likely to marry and have fewer friends than siblings or peers.

Related Web Sites

Site	Notes
American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement - Bicycle Helmets	Bicycling is one of the most popular recreational sports among children in America and is the leading cause of recreational sports injuries treated in emergency departments
American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons	American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) a scientific and educational association devoted to the development of neurological surgery, with more than 5,400 members in the United States and Canada
American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association	International non-profit association of over 2,500 health care professionals in over 40 countries who are involved in treatment and/or research of cleft lip, cleft palate and other craniofacial anomalies
American College of Medical Genetics	Designed to bring the latest information to ACMG members and the public
Asher's Craniosynostosis Home Page	The lambdoid sutures in Ashers skull were fused. That was the first time I had ever heard the word "craniosynostosis"
Ask the Craniofacial Doc	A Q & A forum to provide general information regarding medical aspects of craniofacial conditions
Association of Birth Defect Research for Children	An area to research birth defects, or participate in the National Birth Defect Registry
Born to be Cleft	A personal story about being born with a cleft disorder
Caring for a Newborn with Oral Clefting	Information from Kids Health
CDC: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities	A center established to focus on birth defects and disabilities- Created by the Children's Health Act of 2000
Center for Craniofacial Disorders, Scottish Rite (Atlanta, GA)	A craniofacial team with expertise in craniofacial, oral and maxillofacial and dental care
Changing Faces	Focus is on disfigurements affecting the face and other parts of the body or disfiguring conditions
Children's Craniofacial Association	Also:http://www.ccakids.com
Cleft Advocate	Find local support organizations
Cleft Club	Cleft lip/palate support group
Cleft Lip and Palate	Information from the Kids Health web site
Cleft Palate Baby Feeding Video	An instructional video, "Feeding your Baby with a Cleft Palate" provided by the Children's Hospital in New Orleans
Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Center University of Pittsburgh	Craniofacial Center in Pittsburgh, PA
Cleft-Talk	If you are a person who has been touched by cleft in any way, you may be interested in joining Cleft-Talk. Cleft-Talk is an online discussion list that will link you to other families around the world who are dealing/have dealt/will deal with the very same challenges that you face today
COGENE: the Craniofacial and Oral Gene Expression Network	COGENE is a group of investigators involved in describing human gene expression changes that take place during early stages of development with emphasis on craniofacial development
Craniofacial diseases	Craniofacial diseases and abnormalities - conditions that involve the skull and upper face
CRANIOSUPPORT	This site offers support to families dealing with craniosynostosis.
FACES: The National Craniofacial Association	A place where parents with children born with some type of anomaly affecting their face, head, and/or neck can turn for information and support
Foundation for Nager and Miller Syndromes	International support group dedicated to helping those affected by these two similar genetic conditions which involve severe facial and limb anomalies, but does not usually affect intellect
Friendly Faces	A resource for, and network of, individuals with facial differences, parents, families, friends, and health care professionals
Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery	The Mission (IRPS) of the NYU Medical Center is to maintain a leadership role in local, national and international plastic surgery
Maryland Society for Cleft Lip and Palate Children	A non-profit, non-sectarian charitable association of individuals interested in supporting the needs of children with cleft lip/cleft palate and their families and friends
National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction	Addressing the suffering of the more than 220,000 children born each year with birth defects of the head and face and the thousands more with acquired disfigurements, the NFFR lends its support to the mulidisciplinary craniofacial team at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at NYU Medical Center.
National Institutes of Health Office of Rare Disorders	Links to definitions, causes, treatments and publications; links to Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); links to glossary for defining technical language and an extensive list of rare diseases
OMIM 119300	Van der Woude Syndrome
OMIM 119530	Cleft lip with or without cleft palate
ParentsPlace.com	Dental questions & answers about cleft lip and cleft palate
Prescription Parents	Parents helping parents of children with cleft lip and cleft palate
Treacher Collins Foundation	People interested in developing and sharing knowledge and experience about Treacher Collins syndrome and related conditions
Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome	Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome is characterized by cleft palate, heart abnormalities, learning disabilities, and over 180 other clinical findings

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Last Updated: 11/12/03

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