Registered Charity England & Wales ( ) and Scotland (SC041034) Cleft Lip And Palate Registered Charity England & Wales ( ) and Scotland (SC041034)

‘Cleft’ means ‘gap’ or ‘separation’ What is it?

During early pregnancy, parts of the face develop separately and then join together If they don’t join together properly, the baby is born with a cleft Having a cleft doesn’t hurt the baby – they just look a little different

What is it? A cleft palate is a gap in the roof of the mouth. Sometimes it’s just at the back by the throat, sometimes it goes all the way through the gums and lip too (this is a cleft lip and palate). A cleft lip is a gap in the upper lip. It can be on one side or both sides of the mouth.

What is it? One in 700 babies are born with a cleft  In the UK, that’s three babies every day and over 1,100 every year!

There’s no single cause Sometimes it’s because the parents or other family members have a cleft Sometimes it’s because of things that happen during the pregnancy Most of the time it’s a mixture of lots of different reasons that can’t be predicted or prevented Why Does It Happen?

A cleft can cause issues with: Feeding a baby Hearing Speaking Teeth Self-Confidence What Problems Can It Cause?

Feeding Babies with a cleft often can’t suck because they can’t make a ‘vacuum’ with their mouths. It’s like trying to drink through a straw with a hole in it! CLAPA gives parents special bottles to help them feed their babies. What Problems Can It Cause?

Speaking There are two parts to your palate – the hard bony part at the front by your teeth, and the soft part towards your throat. You can feel the difference with your tongue. What Problems Can It Cause? When you talk, your soft palate moves up or stays down to control how much air goes through your nose. It moves up and blocks your nose for sounds like ‘T’ and ‘P’, but stays down and lets air go through your nose for sounds like ‘M’ and ‘N’. Try it now!

Speaking A child with a cleft palate might sound different to other children because their soft palate isn’t working as it should. Usually this means air escapes through their nose when it shouldn’t which makes their speech sound nasal. They might also not be able to make some sounds, or they might sound like their nose is blocked when they talk. Some children need Speech Therapy to help them speak clearly, and some need more surgery. What Problems Can It Cause?

Famous Faces Tom Burke, Actor (BBC’s The Musketeers) Carmit Bachar, Model, Dancer, Actress, Singer (The Pussycat Dolls) One in 700 people have a cleft – and some of them are famous!

Famous Faces Tutankhamun, Egyptian Pharaoh, 1300 BC Joaquin Phoenix, Actor

Jesse Jackson, American Civil Rights Activist Peyton Manning, American Football Star Famous Faces

Surgery is needed to close the gap in the baby’s lip and/or palate. This usually happens before their first birthday! Here is baby Aidan at 9 weeks old, then at 3 months old just after his surgery, then at 4 months once he’s all healed. How Is It Treated?

Children with a cleft will usually have lots of hospital appointments to make sure their speech, hearing and teeth are turning out okay. They might need hearing aids, grommets, braces, or more operations as they get older. Many children with a cleft need an operation called a ‘bone graft’ when they are 7-9 years old. This is where a piece of bone is taken from the hip and put into the gum to help adult teeth grow properly. How Is It Treated?

Every Cleft Is Unique …just like every child!

What is CLAPA? The Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA) is a charity for people affected by cleft, including parents, kids and adults. CLAPA puts on events and activities for families all around the UK, and has many services including information and one-to-one support.

What is CLAPA? All sorts of people help CLAPA to keep going by raising money with everything from non-uniform days to cake sales!

Thank You!