Cleft lip and palate
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
OB / NewbornPediatricsEye / Earmedium priorityneeds review
Cleft lip and palate
Also testable as: Cleft lip, Cleft palate
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Congenital incomplete fusion of lip and/or palate during fetal development.
- Opening can impair feeding, suction, speech, dental development, and ear drainage.
Medications
No specific medication class was seeded for this card.
Nursing actions
- Assess feeding, airway, aspiration risk, weight gain, and caregiver coping.
- Use specialty nipples/positioning as ordered and burp frequently.
- Teach repair timeline, oral care, and avoiding objects that could disrupt surgical repair per instructions.
Complications
- Aspiration
- Poor weight gain
- Otitis media
- Speech or dental problems
NCLEX cues
- Feeding comes before cosmetic concern.
- Cleft palate has more suction/aspiration issues than isolated lip.
- Post-op protect repair site.
Memory hooks
- Cleft palate: feed safely first.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Feeding evaluation
- Weight trends
- Hearing/ear follow-up
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.