Cleft lip/palate (CLP) in children is psychologically stressful for family members and debilitating for the patients themselves. These children must undergo a series of major invasive surgeries, including cleft lip repair surgery, cleft palate repair surgery, bone grafting surgery, and/or dental implant surgery. Unfortunately, the clinical significance of otitis media with effusion (OME), a complication associated with CLP, is often overlooked and very few studies have explored this condition in depth. In this paper, the author reviews the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and diagnoses of OME in children with CLP as well as the controversies surrounding treatment. We also provide a flowchart to guide the management of OME in children with CLP.