Surgery to repair cleft lip and/or cleft palate in infants can correct nursing, feeding and speech problems, frequent ear infections and physical disfigurement with dramatic aesthetic and functional results. The cleft lip procedure is usually performed at 6-12 weeks of age, while cleft palate surgery is performed between the ages of nine months and one year (after the palate has grown but before faulty speech habits are acquired). While the infant sleeps under general anesthesia, the cleft is closed with absorbable stitches. The skin is then sewn over the correction with fine sutures to minimize scarring.