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Learn moreCleft lip and palate in numbers
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Cleft conditions
From prenatal diagnosis to adulthood — guided step by step.
Skull malformations
Guidance on suspicion, diagnosis and treatment of skull shape disorders and syndromes.
Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is one of the most common congenital facial malformations. It occurs when the lip, jaw and/or palate fail to fuse completely during embryonic development.
With today's medical capabilities, these conditions can be treated very effectively. Early, interdisciplinary care is crucial for an optimal outcome.
Treatment requires collaboration between oral surgeons, orthodontists, ENT specialists, speech therapists, psychologists and other specialists.
Lip and cleft lip-palate are often detectable on prenatal ultrasound. Isolated cleft palate frequently goes undetected before birth – making diagnosis immediately after birth particularly important.
CLP treatment does not follow a single uniform protocol. Various evidence-based concepts coexist – individual adaptation to cleft type, anatomy and patient situation is key.
Lip repair techniques (Fisher, Millard), timing of palate closure, international protocols (Zurich, Göteborg, Oslo), alveolar bone grafting and ICHOM quality measurement – in detail on a dedicated page.
Craniofacial conditions span a broad spectrum – from common positional plagiocephaly to complex syndromic craniosynostosis. Treatment requires a highly specialised, interdisciplinary team and careful, individualised planning.
Orientation and in-depth information on skull deformities and syndromic craniosynostoses can be found on the respective specialist pages:
Answers to the most common questions about cleft lip and palate and craniofacial conditions – gathered on our FAQ page.
View all 26 questions →In Switzerland, care is provided by specialised, interdisciplinary teams at university hospitals. Across Europe, leading centres are connected through the ERN CRANIO reference network.
The following university hospitals have specialised, interdisciplinary teams for the treatment of craniofacial conditions:
The European Reference Network for rare craniofacial anomalies (ERN CRANIO) connects specialised centres from 16 European nations according to uniform quality standards.
The American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) is the leading international professional association – with over 2,200 members from more than 60 countries, since 1943.
Centres working to the ICHOM Standard Set for cleft lip and palate measure outcomes systematically at seven defined time points.
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