Cleft lip and cleft palate

A cleft lip is a birth defect. It is an opening in the upper lip that can expand into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate happens when the palate has an opening into the nose.

Cleft lip and palate
Other names	Hare-lip, cleft lip and palate
Child with cleft lip and palate
Medical specialty	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics
Symptoms	Opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose or palate[1]
Complications	Feeding problems, speech problems, hearing problems, frequent ear infections[1]
Usual onset	Present at birth[1]
Causes	Usually unknown[1]
Risk factors	Smoking during pregnancy, diabetes, obesity, older mother, certain medications[1][2]
Treatment	Surgery, speech therapy, dental care[1]
Prognosis	Good (with treatment)[1]
Frequency	1.5 per 1000 births (developed world)[2]
Deaths	3,800 (2017)

The disorder can result in feeding problems, speech problems, hearing problems, and frequent ear infections. Less than half the time the condition is connected with other disorders.^[1]

It is a birth defect and may be caused by smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy.^[1] Other things connected to this are the age of the mother (older mothers are more likely to give birth to children with birth defects) and the sex of the child (cleft lip is twice as common in boys than in girls).^[1]