ABSTRACT
This is the one of the commonest group of congential malformations affecting the head and neck. The spectrum of disease severity is wide, with defects such as bifid uvula and submucous cleft of the soft palate representing the most minor forms. Isolated cleft lip, either unilateral or bilateral, affects approximately 1: 1000 live births in the UK. There is an association of cleft lip with clefts of the primary and secondary palate, and many of the syndromes of the head and neck have palatal or facial clefts as part of the symptom complex.
