Protocols in cleft lip and palate

Orofacial clefts (OFC) are congenital malformations characterized by incomplete formation of structures in the nasal and oral cavities, affecting approximately 1 child in 600 live births with considerable ethnic and geographical variations. Optimal management of a child with cleft lip demands an organized multidisciplinary effort involving the fields of otolaryngology, plastic surgery, maxillofacial surgery, orthodontist, speech therapy, pediatrics, nursing, genetics counseling, audiology, psychology, and social work. The goals are to optimize feeding, facial growth, speech and language development. In modern era, negligence of cleft is unavoidable. Medical fraternity should work as a team to increase survival rate of patients having cleft, to improve overall normal function, esthetics, better social acceptance and social integration.