Speech therapy addressing the resonance and articulation challenges that can come with a cleft lip or palate, alongside the child's medical care team.
A cleft lip or cleft palate is a split or opening in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth, or both — it happens when the facial structures don't fully come together while a baby is developing in the womb. It's one of the more common birth differences, and while the exact cause isn't always known, a few things are linked to higher risk: genetics, diabetes during pregnancy, smoking, certain medications, alcohol or drug use during pregnancy, and limited prenatal care.
With the right team and support, children thrive.A cleft can touch a few different areas of a child's health and development, beyond just appearance.
While a cleft can't always be prevented, a couple of factors during pregnancy are linked to lower or higher risk. Taking folic acid before and during pregnancy has been shown to help reduce the risk of a cleft forming. On the other side, a maternal diet heavy in meat and light on fruit has been associated with a higher likelihood of cleft lip or palate, so a varied, fruit-inclusive diet during pregnancy is generally encouraged.
Prenatal care and good nutrition matter.Cleft care works best as a team effort — most children are supported by a craniofacial team that includes speech-language pathologists, plastic surgeons, orthodontists, dentists, audiologists, and other specialists, all coordinating around one child's needs.
On the speech side, we typically do a first evaluation between 18 and 24 months, with a follow-up between ages 3 and 5, working toward the goal of speaking clearly and being easily understood by kindergarten age.
Playful airflow games build speech skills.A few everyday habits support speech development alongside therapy.
Reading together every day builds speech and language.You can schedule by call, text, or a quick online form — we'll set up your free consultation within 24 hours.
