Cleft lip and palate

Introduction:
Cleft lip and palate is a type of birth defect that affects the upper lip and the roof of the palette. Cleft lip and palate is the fourth most common birth defect. (HSE) Clefts affect approximately 1 in every 700 babies in Ireland. Where a child is born with a cleft, there is a 5% chance of the next born also having a cleft. If a second child is born with a cleft, the likelihood increases further for any subsequent child.

Causes of cleft lip and palate:
No one knows exactly what causes a cleft. Cleft lip or palate occurs when the structures that make up the upper lip or palate fail to fuse properly as the baby develops in the womb.…