At approximately what ages are the initial cleft lip and cleft palate repairs performed?

• A. Lip repair at birth and palate repair at 1 month.
• B. Lip repair at 6-9 months and palate repair at 2-3 years.
• C. Lip repair at 2-3 months and palate repair at 6-12 months.
• D. Lip repair at 2-3 years and palate repair at 5 years.

Answer: (C)

Timing of cleft repair is chosen to support feeding, growth, and speech development. The lip is typically repaired in the first few months of life, around 2 to 3 months, to help restore a functional oral seal for feeding and to improve nasal symmetry early on. The palate is usually repaired a bit later, around 6 to 12 months, to support normal speech development and reduce risks to ear health and maxillary growth. Choosing these ages helps balance surgical risk with the child’s developmental needs. Delaying the lip repair beyond early infancy or moving the palate repair outside the 6–12 month window would not align with common clinical goals, making the option of lip repair at 2–3 months and palate repair at 6–12 months the best fit.