We have been part of the Cleft UCL team since 2021 and with our birthdays coming up we thought it would be a great idea to reach out and spread awareness of the amazing work they are doing.

In the UK 1 in 700 children are born with a cleft lip and palate, making this the most common form of birth defect. Typically a child born with this will need at least 4 operations, in addition to possible ongoing tests, treatment or therapy. It affects their appearance but also their speech, hearing and dental development which can profoundly impact a child's life.

In the developing world, cleft patients are frequently not operated on until later in life, if at all. As a result, they may be malnourished, and unable to talk well or hear properly.

CLEFT is focused on providing permanent, sustainable ways to improve cleft care both in the UK and overseas. Broadly speaking, they can be described in two categories. Firstly through sponsorship of research projects in the UK to help identify the likely causes of clefts and secondly, by supporting projects in lower-income countries to help provide long-term treatment and care for less privileged people born with clefts. Prithi & Aishu