Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Questions Cleft Lip And Palate

Cleft lip operation for 7 mo. old?

My friend recently had a baby who is suffering from cleft lip, but the baby has no breathing issues. Because of this, she was told to wait until the baby is at least 7 months old to have a surgical procedure done. Is this reasonable? Should she go sooner or later?

2 Answers

It is timed like this so anesthesia is safer.
Cleft lip repairs are generally made at around 10 weeks age, infant 10 pounds and hemoglobin value 10. Cleft palate repairs are usually performed at 10 months or older depending on infant development and other potential medical issues.