This Bengaluru hospital has performed 11.5K cleft lip surgeries for free

Early intervention is crucial for these children as they face difficulty in direct feeding. Often, parents are unaware of ways to feed them and require counselling. Otherwise, the child can suffer from malnutrition, say experts.

A newborn baby’s giggles and little smiles melt every parent’s heart. But when a baby is born with a cleft lip, these emotions may turn into shock, grief, and anxiety while navigating medical procedures that can treat the defect. Bengaluru’s Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital has altered these emotions for many parents. They have performed 11,500 corrective surgeries for children in Karnataka over the last 20 years.

What is a cleft lip?

A cleft lip is a split or separation of parts. During the early stages of pregnancy, separate areas of a baby’s face and head develop individually and then join together. A baby is born with a cleft lip and cleft palate if this joining does not take place or remains incomplete.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) estimates that around 35,000 children are born with cleft lip and palate every year. Besides its appearance, it also affects a child’s speech, nutrition, and hearing capabilities. As a child grows older, some may feel a sense of alienation; they can be made to feel “abnormal” by their parents or peers, causing them to feel isolated.

A positive effort

Smile Train India, a Delhi-based NGO, in association with the National Health Mission and Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, provides free cleft lip and palate surgeries for children from economically weaker sections. Their community health workers network also ensure early identification of children to provide them with the necessary care.

Smile Train has been working in India for 26 years towards providing cleft care. This was the time when it was not a primary healthcare agenda, says Renu Mehta, area director, South Asia, Smile Train, New Delhi.

The organisation currently has a network of seven hospitals in Karnataka, with Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital, Mehta adds, catering to most children.

Other centres are located in: 

• K L E S Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Belagavi

• Medicare Multispecialty Hospital, Kalaburagi

• M K Bhandari Hospital, Raichur

• SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad

• S S Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Davangere

• Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Mangaluru

Recently, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also advocated for increased support for children born with cleft lip and palate. While speaking at 'Indocleftcon 2026' in Mysuru, he said, the Health Department would ensure those suffering from cleft lip in the State get proper information, treatment and care.

Dr Pritham N Shetty, secretary, Indian Society of Cleft Lip, Palate, and Craniofacial Anomalies, Bengaluru, says, “When a child is born with a cleft lip, they are referred to us within the first 10 days of being born.” Early intervention is crucial for these children as they face difficulty in direct feeding. Often, parents are unaware of ways to feed them and require counselling. Otherwise, the child can suffer from malnutrition. 

Mehta highlights the need for early intervention for these children to ensure they lead a normal life as they grow up. Otherwise, they are prone to bullying in school that may cause isolation and trigger mental health problems. 

Cleft lip and palate require one to two corrective surgeries within the first year. Additionally, follow-up surgeries for speech, facial appearance and bone grafting take place over the next few years. Sometimes, it may require eight to 12 procedures. 

Hence, experts stress the importance of taking regular checks to monitor the child. This helps understand the timing for the next corrective procedure. Often, parents are observed to drop out of the aftercare procedures, attributing it to long travels and the unavailability of services at certain centres. Efforts are being made to map out Karnataka and identify isolated spaces to create a better network of hospitals.