Decolonisation of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) carriage in adopted children with cleft lip and palate

•Retrospective study of 55 adopted children with cleft lip and/or palate and MRSA carriage.•Fourteen children did not receive treatment, of whom six (43%) had spontaneous clearance of MRSA.•Decolonisation treatment was started in 41 children (75%).•Success rate of decolonisation treatment was 44–56% depending on choice of treatment.•Waiting for spontaneous clearance can be an acceptable strategy.