In the first weeks of the baby's development in the mother's womb, the lip and palate begin to take shape. First, the right and left edges of the palate and lips are formed. Then the two edges merge to form the full lip and palate structure. However, in some babies (1 in 1000 babies), this union cannot occur properly; A condition called cleft lip and cleft palate occurs. The biggest problem in babies born this way is slow development due to feeding difficulties. In addition, respiratory tract and middle ear infections can be observed quite frequently in infants with cleft palate problems. In addition, from the first months of life, some retardation may be observed in the development of language and speech, depending on the difference in the anatomical structure of the mouth. Speech and language therapists play an important role in assessment, follow-up and therapy processes.
