Surgery is carried out in the early weeks of life. Teams include surgeons, speech or language therapists, orthodontists, paediatricians and others.
Early referral is encouraged.
Inheritance patterns Slight genetic predisposition. The risk of recurrence increases with the severity of the cleft, unless the condition is part of another inheritable syndrome. Referral should then be made to a cleft team for discussion. The Association is a National Registered Charity No. 277842. It was founded in 1979 and consists of parents, nurses, surgeons, dental specialists, speech therapists and others with experience of the needs and treatment required.