How Rare Is It?

Laryngeal cleft is commonly reported to occur in 1 out of every 10,000 - 20,000 live births.

However, that statistic doesn’t present the full story.

That research occurred before 1970 and is only accurate for severe clefts — types 3 and 4.

Today, research has shown that mild clefts — types 1 and 2 — are far more common than originally thought.

In fact, mild laryngeal clefts are found in up to 7.6 percent of children with chronic respiratory symptoms who have their airway scoped under anesthesia.*

*International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2014.