The treatments for cleft lip and cleft palate have seen significant advancements in recent decades. At the Pediatric Craniofacial Center & Clinic at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, our multidisciplinary team of specialists can walk parents through what they can expect from their child’s treatment and recovery process for cleft lip or cleft palate in the months and years ahead.
Prenatal Diagnosis
One breakthrough in recent years is that many parents can now learn about and prepare for their child’s facial anomaly even before the child is born. This is due to enhancements in prenatal ultrasound technology, which often detects these issues before birth.
At Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, these parents are often referred to the Prenatal Clinic for Craniofacial Anomalies. This allows families to meet with a variety of specialists before their child’s birth, including nurses, geneticists and surgeons. It’s a great opportunity for parents to learn what to expect and begin to prepare for the journey ahead.
Many parents report that this education is helpful for them as they plan for the birth of their baby. Knowing more about their child’s upcoming treatment helps reassure them, decreasing anxiety and promoting a less stressful pregnancy and birth experience.
Treating Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Cleft lip repair procedures typically take place at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital when the child is between 3 and 4 months of age.
Cleft palate surgery tends to happen a little later, often when the child is around 11 to 12 months old. In some cases, follow-up surgeries may be required later in childhood, depending on the child’s speech development.
In either case, these procedures are performed under general anesthesia, so your child won’t feel anything during surgery. The surgical technique used for the repair will be explained in detail by your child’s surgeon.
A Multidisciplinary Approach
Cleft lip and cleft palate treatment and recovery require a large team of healthcare experts to educate parents, treat the condition and rehabilitate the patient after the procedure. In addition to pediatricians, nurses and surgeons, your child may need follow-up therapy or treatment after the surgery to achieve the best outcome.
Follow-up treatments may include orthodontic adjustments to correct any dental issues that accompany the cleft lip or palate or feeding strategies to help an infant drink using a special bottle nipple or feeder. With continued growth, your child may require speech therapy, hearing aids or psychological care.
One key differentiator of the Pediatric Craniofacial Center & Clinic at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is that our staff makes every effort to come together and meet with the family whenever possible. This means the patient and their parents can meet with surgeons, genetic counselors, nurses, dentists, speech therapists and more during the same hospital visit.
This multidisciplinary approach goes a long way toward preparing and educating parents for the journey ahead. It also provides reassurance that they have a full team of experienced specialists on their side to treat their child’s condition.