An estimated 35,000 babies are born with clefts each year in India. More than 50% of them do not receive the treatment they need, and are condemned to suffer their whole life. There are over 10 lakh cases of untreated clefts in India.

In India, clefts are as much of a social and economic issue as they are medical. A vast majority of cleft births occur in rural India where poverty, illiteracy and misinformation are rampant and access to medical resources is scarce. Widespread socio-cultural beliefs add to the problem.

Many believe that a cleft is a curse or punishment from the gods. They blame themselves for their misfortune and believe they are destined to bear the suffering their whole life. Stories and folklore abound. In some parts of north India, the belief is that clefts occur when a pregnant woman uses a knife during a solar eclipse.

Though ‘normal’ in every other sense, because of the facial deformity and speech impediment, children born with clefts are condemned to grow up as social outcasts and objects of ridicule.

Many afflicted children, especially girls, are killed at birth or abandoned. Orphanages are full of children with cleft. But even when they are allowed to live, their families are ashamed of them, other children taunt them and most schools won’t accept them. Even if they manage to get some basic education, they cannot find jobs, get married or join the mainstream of society.

A study performed by Smile Train in rural India made the following observations about cleft afflicted families:

• 92% of them cannot afford the cost of surgery
• 30% of them are not aware that this condition can be corrected
• Hospitals where these surgeries are performed are not approachable
• 5% are afraid of surgery
• 20% are unhappy due to poorly conducted surgeries

These are the many reasons why Smile Train’s journey to India is so vital. Since 2000, Smile Train has sponsored 250,000 safe, quality surgeries in India – totally free. And the number keeps growing every day.