Neonatal cleft lip and cleft palate repair.

Facial clefting is one of the most common birth defects and having a child born with this defect can be a devastating experience for parents and family members. Until recently, repair of cleft lip and palate deformities was deferred until the infant had reached 10 weeks of age, 10 pounds in weight, and a hemoglobin level of 10 gm per 100 mL. This criteria eliminated neonates 28 days of age or younger from the possibility of early repair. Waiting until these criteria were achieved often caused problems with parent-infant bonding and infant growth and development. Advances in neonatology and pediatric anesthesia now have made it possible to perform cleft surgery during the neonatal period. This article discusses the anatomy and embryology of cleft deformities and how cleft repair surgery now can be performed on the neonate.