Lip-palatal clefts are a quite frequent type of congenital malformations, most commonly affecting the buccofacial structures of human beings. They are anatomical defects of profound aesthetic and functional impact that could lead to other future alterations if it’s not corrected early; family group is affected because of its appearance. Different rates in the prevalence of this pathology are caused by the different studied populations’ ethnic mixes. In some regions of the world, the prevalence declined because of birth control and genetic advice.1,2,3 Some findings about this kind of lesson localization and appearance relating gender still does not have a clear explanation; this review includes important aspects such as: definition, etiology, classification and prevalence of patients with cleft lip or cleft palate worldwide. Methodology: relevant biomedical literature was searched in several databases such as Medline, Proquest, Science Direct, Ovid and Cochrane, as well as available in- formation in journals’ national and international web sites. These data will provide a basis for conducting future research to determine the frequency of cleft lip and palate in reference medical centers around the country, as well as the most common risk factors associated with their outcome; in this way we may finally establish the necessary preventive control measures against the occurrence of this type of congenital anomalies in pediatric patients