Facts on Cleft Lip

Are you aware of these facts on cleft lip?

• A cleft lip can be either unilateral, occurring on only one side of the face or bilateral, creating a cleft on both sides of the face
• A cleft lip can extend beyond the lip and into the back of the mouth causing the mouth to open into the nasal cavity
• The surgery to repair a cleft lip is a routine procedure and can almost completely restore the facial deformity
• A child born with a cleft lip or cleft palate is like any other child in every way other than the physical deformity
• Children who cannot afford surgery and do not receive help from charity donations can suffer a lifetime of ridicule and severe psychological distress
• Charity donations to Operation Smile give thousands of children around the globe a chance to live a happy, healthy, satisfying life

Through charity donations from people of the global community like you, Operation Smile has completed more than 100,000 cleft lip surgeries. In its fiscal 2005 year alone, charity donations to Operation Smile put a smile on the faces of more than 8,000 children in 24 countries in the developing world. 

Another shocking fact is that in the developing world, approximately 1 in 500-600 children are born with a cleft lip each year. Many people in developed nations don’t notice this common occurrence because most babies with cleft lip undergo surgery within their first year of life. Your charity donation, no matter the size, is a big step toward putting a confident new smile on a beautiful child’s face.

Link to Operation Smile!