The multidisciplinary evaluation and management of cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip with or without a cleft palate (CLP) and cleft palate alone (CPA) are common birth defects, with a combined birth prevalence of about 1 to 2/1,000. Affected children have a number of medical issues and potential complications, and therefore require a wide variety of healthcare specialists beyond plastic surgeons and dental specialists. For this reason, the best environment in which to deliver this care is a multidisciplinary cleft clinic (MCC) that features a team of healthcare providers, including audiology, pediatric otolaryngology, speech pathology, occupational/feeding therapy, and genetics. In this setting, the many medical issues that these children face are comprehensively addressed in the most convenient manner, as all the specialists can be seen in a single busy day. Furthermore, the referring primary care provider (PCP) will receive a concise letter that documents the team evaluation, including future management plans and recommendations for therapy. Unfortunately, few papers are available in the literature that review the workings of these clinics. In this paper we will provide such an overview, discussing the management issues for children with CLP/CPA, and how these are addressed by members of the MCC.