What other preparations are done before unilateral cleft lip and palate repair? my newborn daughter has a cleft lip that extends up to her nose, and she has a large separation in her palate. how often are both the cleft lip and palate corrected in the ini

Typically : Typically the cleft lip and nose are repaired together early when the child is about 3 months of age. The hard palate is rarely repaired at that time because doing so will effect the normal growth of the upper jaw. The hard palate is usually repaired anywhere ranging from 9-18 months. Other preparations to consider is that the child will usually also need ear tubes placed at the same time as the cleft lip repair since it is very common to have fluid build up in the ears in children who have cleft palates. This will help preserve normal hearing.

Talk to the surgeon: With any type of surgery, it is best to have a thorough discussion with the surgeon who will perform the procedure. That person will want to answer all of you questions so that you are completely knowledgeable about every aspect of the procedures to be performed.