Improving cleft care in the age of AI

A child born with a cleft lip or palate in India does not have just one single treatment episode. Treatment is a journey that unfolds over years. The first surgery is only the beginning: what follows is a long sequence of care – speech therapy, nutritional support, orthodontic correction, and sometimes further revisions. Each step matters. Many are costly; most are not easily accessible to all.

“Families often believe the problem is solved after the first surgery. But that is only the visible part of care. The real outcomes depend on what happens over the next several years.” says Praveen Ganesh, lead cleft surgeon and project director – Smile Train Unit at Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai.