At what age is cleft LIP typically repaired?

Correct answer: A. Around 3 months of age

• A. CORRECT. Cleft LIP repair (cheiloplasty) follows the classic RULE OF TENS — approximately 10 weeks of age, 10 pounds of body weight, and haemoglobin of 10 g/dL — which places the surgery at roughly 3 MONTHS. Early repair improves feeding, restores the muscular continuity of the orbicularis oris, and confers a psychosocial benefit on the family. Some centres now perform earlier repair or use pre-surgical nasoalveolar moulding.
• B. By 3 years both lip and palate repairs should long since have been completed. Around age 8–10 comes alveolar bone grafting, timed to canine root development.
• C. Age 6 is far too late for primary lip repair; secondary revisions and orthognathic surgery occur in adolescence.
• D. 12–18 months is the window for cleft PALATE repair (palatoplasty), timed before the critical period of speech development so that velopharyngeal competence is established.

Note: ⚠️ The source keyed 6–12 months for the LIP. The widely taught rule of tens places lip repair at about 3 months and palate repair at 12–18 months. Please correct in the group file. Full timeline: lip ~3 months → palate 12–18 months → alveolar bone graft 8–10 years → orthognathic surgery after growth completion.