Cleft lip and palate

A cleft is a split or gap in the upper lip and/or the roof of the mouth (palate) that is present at birth. This occurs because certain parts of the baby's face did not fuse correctly during development in the womb. Infants can be born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. A cleft lip can affect just one side of the lip, or there may be two separate clefts.