Influence of Cleft Lip and Palate on Children's Recorder, Flute, and Clarinet Performance.

This study evaluated whether having a cleft palate with or without cleft lip (CP ± L) affects children's performance on wind instruments—specifically the recorder, flute, and clarinet—within a multidisciplinary care program in Peru. Results from 43 children showed no significant overall performance differences between those with and without CP ± L, with older age and greater experience correlating with longer blowing duration and better sound quality. Among children with CP ± L, those with satisfactory surgical outcomes demonstrated longer blowing durations than those with partly satisfactory results, and children with bilateral cleft lip and palate performed diminuendo less smoothly than those with unilateral clefts. The findings suggest that children with CP ± L can achieve comparable wind instrument performance to their peers without clefts, supporting encouragement for their participation in wind instrument learning.