The CRANE database records information about children and adults born with cleft lip and cleft palate in the UK. ‘CRANE’ stands for ‘Cleft Registry and Audit NEtwork’.
It was set up by the Department of Health after a report in 1998 into the quality of care for people with cleft lip and cleft palate. It is owned by the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland and is managed by a project team based in the Clinical Effectiveness Unit of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, in London. The database is funded by a grant from the National Health Service.
If you are interested in statistics on cleft lip and palate in the UK, CRANE’s annual reports are the best place to look.
Read the CRANE 2025 Annual Report
Every year, CRANE produces a comprehensive report on what they've learnt through the information collected on their database. This is a summary of these findings aimed at the UK cleft community.
What kind of information is collected?
CRANE collects information on these children at birth or at diagnosis, and into childhood – including information about the surgical treatments your child has had, and how your child is getting on in terms of their speech, hearing, growth, dental health and overall health.
Why does the database collect information?
The information collected is used to:
- get an accurate picture of the numbers of babies born with cleft lip and cleft palate and the different types of care that are provided;
- help monitor the performance of the special units that treat children with cleft lip and cleft palate;
- produce reports which highlight areas of good care so that this knowledge can be shared; and
- help to find the causes, and the best treatments for, cleft lip and cleft palate.
No information is used in the reports that could be used to identify you or your child.