Cleft lip and cleft palate

Rare, genetic, and present at birth, Children and teens. Also called: Orofacial cleft.

How common is Cleft lip and cleft palate in the US?

Birth prevalence of cleft lip with and without cleft palate, adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity to the US live birth population: 9.69 cases per 10,000 live births (US live births, 2016-2020; United States (national estimate pooled from 13 US population-based birth defects surveillance programs, covering 22% of US births, adjusted to the national live birth population), 2016-2020). Source: Birth Defects Research (CDC), 2024. Label: VERIFIED.

• 9.69 cases per 10,000 live births Birth prevalence of cleft lip with and without cleft palate, adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity to the US live birth population. Out of: US live births, 2016-2020. Where: United States (national estimate pooled from 13 US population-based birth defects surveillance programs, covering 22% of US births, adjusted to the national live birth population). When: 2016-2020. Cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Cleft palate alone is counted separately. Label: VERIFIED.

  The most prevalent conditions observed overall for this analysis were clubfoot (18.65 cases per 10,000 live births), trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) (15.55 cases per 10,000 live births), pulmonary valve atresia and stenosis (10.29 cases per 10,000 live births), and cleft lip with and without cleft palate (9.69 cases per 10,000 live births).

  Source: National population-based estimates for major birth defects, 2016-2020. Birth Defects Research (CDC), 2024. PubMed 38277408. DOI 10.1002/bdr2.2301.

Each figure measures something different. Do not compare them with each other or with other conditions.

Medical codes

• ICD-10-CM FY2026: Q36.9 Cleft lip, unilateral (narrower)
• ICD-10-CM FY2026: Q35.9 Cleft palate, unspecified (narrower)
• ICD-10-CM FY2026: Q37.9 Unspecified cleft palate with unilateral cleft lip (narrower)

Research activity

As of 2026-09-24: 152 registered studies on ClinicalTrials.gov (search Cleft Lip and Palate) and 5,633 PubMed records, 2021 to 2025. A count of records is not how common or serious the condition is.

Population information, not medical advice. Methodology · Known limitations