Ambulance 912HAP 9252
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Cleft lip and palate

A cleft is a gap in the upper lip, jaw and/or palate present at birth because tissues do not fully join together early in pregnancy. It can affect feeding, hearing, speech and teeth. Treatment takes place in stages through a specialist team from birth, sometimes into adulthood.

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A cleft is a gap in the upper lip, jaw and/or palate present at birth because tissues do not fully join together early in pregnancy. It can affect feeding, hearing, speech and teeth. Treatment takes place in stages through a specialist team from birth, sometimes into adulthood.

  • A visible gap or notch in the upper lip, nose and sometimes upper jaw.
  • A gap in the hard or soft palate, sometimes hidden beneath the lining.
  • Before discharge, ask to be shown how to feed your baby calmly in an upright position with the recommended bottle.
  • Pause often for burping, watch breathing and stop if your baby turns blue, chokes or becomes clearly exhausted.
  • Get in touch the same day if a baby drinks less and less, feeds take a very long time or there are fewer wet nappies.
  • For urgent GP care outside normal opening hours, call HAP 9252. Call Ambulance 912 only for an immediately life-threatening situation.

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