Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip Care in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth conditions in which parts of a baby’s mouth do not join together properly during early fetal development. The two halves of the palate (the roof of the mouth) or the upper lip fail to fuse, leaving an open space, or “cleft.”

A cleft can occur:

  • On one side of the lip or palate (unilateral)
  • On both sides (bilateral)
  • Involving only the lip, only the palate, or both

In the United States, about 1 in every 600–800 babies is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. Families in the Grand Rapids area have access to specialized cleft and craniofacial care through major health systems such as Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health), and regional partners.

How a Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate Develops

During pregnancy, your baby’s mouth and face form in stages:

  • Weeks 6–8 of pregnancy:
    The two halves of the hard palate move toward each other and fuse to form the roof of the mouth.
  • Up to week 10 of pregnancy:
    The fusion process continues forward and backward, closing the lips, soft palate, and uvula (the small tissue that hangs at the back of the throat). The nose also develops its usual structure and position.

In a baby with a cleft lip or cleft palate, this fusion process is incomplete. The cleft may involve:

  • The upper lip
  • The hard palate (front part of the roof of the mouth)
  • The soft palate (back part of the roof of the mouth)
  • The nostrils and nasal base

Cleft conditions can vary widely in location, severity, and extent, from a small notch in the lip (microform cleft) to a wide cleft involving both lip and palate.

Types of Cleft Conditions

Common types of cleft lip and palate include:

  • Cleft lip only
  • Cleft palate only
  • Cleft lip and cleft palate together
  • Unilateral cleft (one side)
  • Bilateral cleft (both sides)
  • Microform cleft (small notch or scar)
  • Submucous cleft palate – a cleft under the lining (mucous membrane) of the palate that may be harder to see

A cleft lip is often detected on a 20‑week prenatal ultrasound. A cleft palate alone can be more difficult to see before birth.

When a cleft is suspected during pregnancy, families in Grand Rapids can be referred early to a cleft team at hospitals such as Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital or other regional craniofacial centers. Early referral allows time for:

  • Parent education
  • Counseling and emotional support
  • Planning for delivery and newborn feeding

Diagnosis of Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate in Grand Rapids

A thorough examination of your baby’s face and mouth at birth is needed to confirm:

  • Whether a cleft is present
  • Which structures are involved (lip, hard palate, soft palate, nose)
  • How severe the cleft is

Your baby’s pediatrician, neonatologist, or cleft team will assess your newborn soon after delivery. In Grand Rapids, this may occur at:

  • Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital / Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
  • University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health)
  • Other birthing centers partnered with a cleft and craniofacial clinic

What Causes Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate?

For most families, the exact cause is unknown. We do know:

  • Genetic factors play a role in some cases.
  • A cleft lip or cleft palate is not caused by anything the parents did or did not do during pregnancy.
  • Even very healthy, carefully planned pregnancies can result in a baby with a cleft.

Some patterns:

  • Around one in three babies with a cleft lip or cleft palate has a relative with a similar condition or an associated genetic condition.
  • A parent born with a cleft lip or palate has a small increased chance of having a child with a cleft.
  • About two‑thirds of cases occur with no known family history or clear cause.

Cleft Lip and Palate as Part of a Syndrome

A cleft lip or cleft palate may:

  • Occur by itself (isolated cleft), or
  • Be part of a syndrome – a group of features or symptoms that occur together and share a genetic cause.

There are more than 400 known conditions and syndromes in which a cleft lip or palate can be one of the signs.

If your baby has a cleft, your cleft team may recommend:

  • Genetic counseling
  • Genetic testing to look for underlying conditions

Genetic Counseling in West Michigan

Genetic counselors are health professionals trained in both genetics and counseling. They can:

  • Explain what is known about the cause of your child’s cleft
  • Discuss whether it may be inherited
  • Review genetic testing options for your child and family members
  • Help you understand what a diagnosis means for your child’s health, development, and future pregnancies
  • Provide emotional support tailored to your family’s culture, values, and beliefs

You may consider seeing a genetic counselor if:

  • You have a family history of cleft lip, cleft palate, or a known genetic condition
  • Your baby has a cleft and your team recommends further evaluation
  • You are planning another pregnancy and want to understand recurrence risks

In the Grand Rapids area, genetic counseling services are available through major health systems (such as Corewell Health, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, and University of Michigan Health-West) and can be accessed by referral from your OB‑GYN, pediatrician, or cleft team.

Feeding a Baby with a Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate

Breastfeeding and Bottle-Feeding

  • Babies with a cleft lip only
    Many babies with a cleft lip alone can breastfeed or bottle‑feed well. Sometimes positioning the baby so the cleft faces upward helps the breast tissue fill the gap and create a better seal.

  • Babies with a cleft palate (with or without cleft lip)
    These babies often have difficulty creating enough suction to draw milk from the breast or a standard bottle because air leaks between the nose and mouth. They usually need special bottles and nipples designed for cleft palate, such as:

    • SpecialNeeds® feeder
    • Pigeon cleft palate teat with a soft, squeezable bottle
    • Other specialty cleft feeding systems

You can still give your baby expressed breastmilk using these specialized bottles if direct breastfeeding is not possible.

Why Breastmilk Is Especially Helpful

Breastmilk offers important benefits for all babies, but it is especially valuable for babies with a cleft palate because they are at higher risk for:

  • Ear infections (such as “glue ear”)
  • Respiratory infections
  • Other common childhood illnesses

These risks can be more pronounced in Michigan’s cold winter months, when respiratory viruses circulate more widely. Breastmilk provides antibodies and immune support that help protect your baby.

Practical Feeding Tips for Grand Rapids Families

Your hospital team in Grand Rapids will typically refer you to:

  • A lactation consultant
  • A pediatric speech-language pathologist
  • A pediatrician familiar with cleft care

They can help with:

  • Positioning your baby for feeding
  • Choosing and using the right bottle or teat
  • Monitoring your baby’s weight gain and hydration

Bottle-feeding tips for babies with cleft lip or palate:

  • Before feeding:
    • Practice squeezing the bottle and compressing the teat so you understand the flow rate and pressure needed.
  • During feeding:
    • Hold your baby in a semi‑upright position to reduce milk flowing into the nose and to help with swallowing.
    • Squeeze the bottle rhythmically only when your baby sucks (for example, every 2–5 sucks).
    • If using the SpecialNeeds® feeder, squeeze the teat, not the bottle.
    • Adjust the squeezing pattern to your baby’s pace—every baby is different.
  • Burping and timing:
    • Take frequent breaks for burping to release swallowed air.
    • Aim to keep each feed to 20–30 minutes. Longer feeds can tire your baby and make weight gain more difficult.

In most cases, babies with cleft lip and palate can be fully fed by bottle once the right system and technique are found. In rare cases, if your baby cannot take enough by mouth, a short‑term nasogastric (NG) feeding tube (from nose to stomach) may be used.

If you go home with tube feeding:

  • Your Grand Rapids hospital team will train you in tube care and feeding.
  • You may be connected with a home enteral nutrition (HEN) program or home nursing support.
  • Local resources such as the Kent County Health Department and Grand Rapids Public Health can provide additional support for nutrition and growth monitoring.

Multidisciplinary Cleft Care Teams in Grand Rapids

Babies born with a cleft lip or palate benefit from care by a multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial team (often called a “cleft clinic” or “cleft team”). Your baby is usually referred at birth or shortly after. If a cleft is detected during pregnancy, referral can happen before delivery.

A cleft team may include:

  • Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
  • Pediatrician
  • Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon
  • Audiologist (hearing specialist)
  • Speech-language pathologist
  • Orthodontist and dental specialist
  • Clinical nurse coordinator
  • Clinical geneticist/genetic counselor
  • Social worker or psychologist
  • Lactation consultant

In West Michigan, comprehensive cleft care is offered through systems such as:

  • Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in downtown Grand Rapids
  • Trinity Health Grand Rapids and its pediatric partners
  • University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health) and referral networks

A cleft coordinator often serves as your point person, helping schedule visits, answer questions, and guide you through your child’s treatment plan.

Surgical Treatment for Cleft Lip

Cleft lip repair is usually performed when a baby is about 3–6 months old, depending on your surgeon’s recommendations and your baby’s health.

  • Your baby is placed under general anesthesia (asleep and pain‑free).
  • The surgeon reconstructs the shape of the lip and often the nose, joining the tissues that did not fuse before birth.
  • The goal is to:
    • Restore lip function
    • Improve appearance
    • Support normal facial growth and development

Follow‑up visits in Grand Rapids will monitor healing, scarring, and facial growth. Sometimes, revision surgery may be recommended as your child grows.

Surgical Treatment for Cleft Palate

Cleft palate repair is typically done before your child begins to speak, usually between 9 months and 1 year of age.

During palate surgery:

  • The surgeon uses nearby oral tissues to close the cleft in the palate.
  • The goal is to:
    • Separate the mouth from the nasal cavity
    • Support normal speech development
    • Improve swallowing and reduce food or liquid coming through the nose

Some children may need additional procedures, such as pharyngoplasty, to further improve closure between the mouth and nose and to support clearer speech.

Depending on your child’s needs, other treatments over time may include:

  • Follow‑up surgery on the hard palate at a later stage
  • Bone grafts to the upper jaw (often around age 8–10)
  • Jaw realignment or orthodontic treatment using braces
  • Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) to improve breathing and nasal symmetry
  • Ongoing dental and orthodontic care

Speech and Hearing Concerns

Speech Development

Even after palate repair, some children may have:

  • Nasal‑sounding speech
  • Difficulty producing certain sounds
  • Delayed speech milestones

Speech-language pathology is a key part of cleft care. A pediatric speech pathologist in Grand Rapids will:

  • Monitor your child’s speech as they grow
  • Provide therapy to improve clarity and articulation
  • Work closely with your surgical team to decide if additional surgery is needed

Ear Infections and Hearing

Children with cleft palate are more likely to develop recurring ear infections, including “glue ear” (fluid behind the eardrum). This can affect hearing and speech.

Your child may need:

  • Regular hearing tests with an audiologist
  • Ongoing care from an ENT specialist
  • Placement of ear tubes (grommets) to drain fluid and reduce infections

In Michigan’s colder months, when upper respiratory infections are common, it is especially important to:

  • Keep up with ENT and audiology appointments
  • Watch for signs of ear pain, fever, or hearing changes

Long-Term Care and Outcomes

Every child’s cleft is unique. Treatment needs and outcomes depend on:

  • The location and severity of the cleft
  • The presence of any associated syndromes
  • Individual factors like overall health, growth, and response to surgery

A severe‑looking cleft does not always mean more complex long‑term problems, and many children with more extensive clefts do very well with coordinated care.

With modern cleft lip and palate treatment available in Grand Rapids and throughout West Michigan:

  • Clefts can be effectively repaired
  • Most children go on to lead normal, active, and happy lives
  • They attend regular schools, participate in sports and activities, and thrive socially and academically

Emotional Support for Parents in Grand Rapids

Learning that your baby has a cleft lip or cleft palate can be overwhelming. The first days and weeks—especially when feeding is challenging—can be emotionally intense.

Support is available:

  • Hospital social workers and psychologists can help you process emotions, connect you with resources, and support your mental health.
  • Local and regional cleft support groups (including online communities) connect you with other parents who have been through similar experiences.
  • National organizations (such as the American Cleft Palate‑Craniofacial Association and Smile Train) offer education, stories from other families, and practical tips.

In the Grand Rapids area, ask your cleft team or pediatrician about:

  • Parent‑to‑parent support networks
  • Local parent groups for children with craniofacial differences
  • Virtual support meetings, which can be especially convenient during Michigan’s winter months

Local Public Health and Community Resources

Families in Grand Rapids can also reach out to:

  • Kent County Health Department – for child health programs, immunizations, nutrition support, and referrals.
  • Grand Rapids Public Health initiatives – for early childhood programs, developmental screening, and family support.
  • Early On® Michigan – for early intervention services if your child has developmental delays or special needs.

These resources can help with:

  • Growth and nutrition monitoring
  • Developmental screenings
  • Speech and language support
  • Connecting to community services and financial assistance programs

Key Points About Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate

  • The exact cause of most clefts is unknown; genetic factors play a role in some cases.
  • Cleft lip or cleft palate is not caused by anything parents did or did not do during pregnancy.
  • About two‑thirds of cases occur with no family history.
  • A cleft can occur by itself or as part of a genetic syndrome with other features.
  • Genetic counseling can help you understand possible causes, inheritance, and testing options.
  • Special feeding support (lactation consultants, special bottles, speech pathologists) is often needed, especially for cleft palate.
  • Surgery to repair cleft lip and palate is available through multidisciplinary teams in Grand Rapids, MI and surrounding West Michigan.
  • With appropriate medical, nutritional, speech, and emotional support, children born with a cleft lip or palate can live healthy, fulfilling lives.

If you live in or near Grand Rapids and have concerns about cleft lip or cleft palate—during pregnancy or after your baby is born—speak with your OB‑GYN, pediatrician, or family doctor. They can refer you to a local cleft team and connect you with the resources you need.