Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about Cleft Lip and Cleft Pallet.

And if you want to follow along with written notes on this topic,

you can follow along at 0.0.15.com slash cleft lip

or in the E&T section of the Zero to Finals pediatrics book. So let's get straight into it.

A cleft lip is a congenital condition where there's a split or open section of the upper lip.

This opening can occur at any point along the top lip and can extend as high as the nose.

A cleft palate is where a defect exists in the hard or the soft palate at the roof of the mouth.

This leaves an opening between the mouth and the nasal cavity.

Cleft lip and cleft palate can occur together or on their own.

Most cases of cleft lip or cleft palate occur randomly. Having a relative with a cleft lip or palate makes it slightly more likely,

however it does not follow a traditional inheritance pattern. Three in ten cases of cleft lip or cleft

palate are associated with another underlying syndrome.

Let's talk about the complications of having a cleft lip or a cleft palate.

Neither are life-threatening conditions, although it can lead to significant problems with feeding, swallowing and speech.

It can also have significant psychosocial implications,

such as affecting bonding between the mother and the child. Surgery generally resolves these problems.

Children with cleft palettes can be more prone to hearing problems, ear infections and glue ear.

Let's talk about management.

Patients should be referred to the local cleft lip service.

This involves a specialist multidisciplinary team

that includes specialist nurses to support and coordinate care,

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