Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects, occurring in about one in 1,050 births in the United States.

The cleft of the lip forms during the early trimester ... but the bony structures of the teeth and everything else is not. As clinicians, we don’t repair the bony components of the gums in infancy ...

Neda Tahmasebifard, an assistant professor in the speech and language pathology department at Saint Mary’s College, ...

Next, children will have surgery to repair the cleft and close the gap. Children will usually have surgery for a cleft lip between 3 and 6 months and for a cleft palate between 6 and 12 months.