Management of infants born with a cleft lip and palate. Part 1

Cleft lip and/or palate is a relatively common facial anomaly occurring in babies, which varies in frequency according to racial or ethnic group. A holistic approach to care for the family and child involves many professionals at different times throughout the childhood years. This is the first of two articles which will look at nationally agreed standards of care for the immediate postnatal period, some of the problems which may occur in early infancy for both babies born with a cleft involving the lip and those born with an isolated cleft of the palate, and the specialist support services available to local healthcare professionals and parents.