Independence Blue Cross (Independence) and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have signed a new long-term agreement.

Prenatal correction of cleft lip and/or palate would offer benefits that are not attainable through conventional postnatal treatment. Learn about our work to correct it in the laboratory.

Learn about the international outreach missions, community partnerships and family events that support patients and families with cleft lip and palate.

Having a congenital appearance difference may present a variety of challenges for children and their families. Our dedicated psychosocial support services team is here to help you navigate challenges and maximize well-being.

Review a timeline of common cleft lip/palate procedures and typical age of treatment, from birth to adolescence.

One of the most important advances in the care of cleft lip and palate in the last 30 years is nasoalveolar molding (NAM).

Because the face and oral structures change as a child grows, the interdisciplinary team in our Cleft Lip and Palate Program follows children from before birth through adolescence. 

Coordinators in the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment and the Plastic Surgery nurse coordinator at CHOP partner to address many of the fears associated with this prenatal finding, and prepare families for caring for their child after delivery.

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate is the most common craniofacial anomaly detected on routine prenatal screening ultrasound. At CHOP, prenatal assessment of facial clefts is done in the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment.

The last several decades have seen remarkable progress in the care of children born with cleft lip and palate.