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Saving Just a moment, please. You've saved this page It's been added to your dashboard. In This Topic. What are cleft lip and cleft palate? These things may increase your chances of having a baby with cleft lip or palate:. Family history of cleft lip and cleft palate. Family history is health conditions and treatments that you, your partner and everyone in your families.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are more common in families who are Asian, Hispanic and Native American. If you have a family history of cleft lip or palate, tell your health care provider and a genetic counselor.
Smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Women who binge drink during the first weeks of pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with a cleft lip or cleft palate than other women. Binge drinking is when you drink four or more drinks in 2 to 3 hours. Not getting enough nutrients , like folic acid , before and during pregnancy. Folic acid is a vitamin that every cell in your body needs for healthy growth and development. If you take folic acid before pregnancy and during early pregnancy, it can help protect your baby from cleft lip and palate and birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects.
Having diabetes before pregnancy. Diabetes is a condition in which your body has too much sugar called glucose in the blood.
Diabetes before pregnancy is also called preexisting diabetes or type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Not all cleft lips will be obvious on this scan and it's very difficult to detect a cleft palate on an ultrasound scan. If a cleft lip or palate does not show up on the scan, it's usually diagnosed immediately after birth or during the newborn physical examination done within 72 hours of birth.
When a cleft lip or palate is diagnosed, you'll be referred to a specialist NHS cleft team who will explain your child's condition, discuss the treatments they need and answer any questions you have. You may also find it useful to contact a support group, such as the Cleft Lip and Palate Association , who can offer advice and put you in touch with parents in a similar situation. Your child will usually have a long-term care plan that outlines the treatments and assessments they'll need as they grow up.
Read more about how cleft lip and palate is treated. The majority of children treated for cleft lip or palate grow up to have completely normal lives. Most affected children will not have any other serious medical problems and treatment can usually improve the appearance of the face and problems with feeding and speech. Surgery to repair a cleft lip may leave a small pink scar above the lips.
This will fade over time and become less noticeable as your child gets older. Some adults who've had a cleft lip or palate repair may be self-conscious or unhappy about their appearance.
Your GP may refer you back to an NHS cleft centre for further treatment and support if there are any ongoing issues. They also might have hearing problems and problems with their teeth. Joshua was born with cleft lip and palate.
Read his story as well as other stories from families affected by cleft lip and palate. The causes of orofacial clefts among most infants are unknown. Some children have a cleft lip or cleft palate because of changes in their genes. Cleft lip and cleft palate are thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other factors, such as things the mother comes in contact with in her environment, or what the mother eats or drinks, or certain medications she uses during pregnancy.
Like the many families of children with birth defects, CDC wants to find out what causes them. Understanding the factors that are more common among babies with a birth defect will help us learn more about the causes. Recently, CDC reported on important findings from research studies about some factors that increase the chance of having a baby with an orofacial cleft:.
CDC continues to study birth defects, such as cleft lip and cleft palate, and how to prevent them. If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor about ways to increase your chances of having a healthy baby.
Orofacial clefts, especially cleft lip with or without cleft palate, can be diagnosed during pregnancy by a routine ultrasound. They can also be diagnosed after the baby is born, especially cleft palate. However, sometimes certain types of cleft palate for example, submucous cleft palate and bifid uvula might not be diagnosed until later in life. Surgery to repair a cleft lip usually occurs in the first few months of life and is recommended within the first 12 months of life.
Surgery to repair a cleft palate is recommended within the first 18 months of life or earlier if possible. Children born with orofacial clefts might need other types of treatments and services, such as special dental or orthodontic care or speech therapy.
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