The “Rule of 10’s” long has been the standard guideline. This rule states that an infant must reach 10 pounds of body weight, 10 weeks of age, and have a hemoglobin level of 10 gm per 100 mL before it is considered safe to surgically perform a cleft repair. This rule eliminated neonates 28 days of age or younger from the possibility of early repair. Advances in neonatology and pediatric anesthesia now have made it possible to perform cleft repair surgery during the neonatal period.
