Babies may have cleft lips with or without cleft palates. Cleft palates may also occur without cleft lips
Cleft lip is a congenital malformation in which the left and right sides of the upper lip do not join up properly. There may be genetic influences, as well as environmental or nutritional causes, but these are poorly understood. The proximate cause of cleft lip is a fusion defect, though.
Cleft lips may involve one or both sides of the lip
As well as unilateral or bilateral, cleft lips are further classified as complete or incomplete. A complete cleft is the entire lip, and usually the alveolar arch. An incomplete cleft involves only part of the lip.
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"Scientists are researching methods to prevent cleft lips and cleft palates. One finding, according to research studies, is that mothers who take multivitamins containing folic acid before conception and during the first two months of pregnancy may reduce their risk of giving birth to a baby with a cleft." - content provided by OperationSmile.org (see link below for more information) As of now, there are no cures for a cleft lip or palate other than surgery after the child has been born.
"Scientists are researching methods to prevent cleft lips and cleft palates. One finding, according to research studies, is that mothers who take multivitamins containing folic acid before conception and during the first two months of pregnancy may reduce their risk of giving birth to a baby with a cleft." - content provided by OperationSmile.org (see link below for more information) As of now, there are no cures for a cleft lip or palate other than surgery after the child has been born.
The length of the opening ranges from a small notch, to a cleft that extends into the base of the nostril
The condition is congenital; that is, babies who have cleft lip, cleft palate, or both are born with the condition. For more information, see: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/special/birth/034.htmlit is a birth defect
There is no known means of preventing clefting
The incidence among Japanese newborns is 2.1 in 1,000
The incidence among whites is one in 1,000 newborns
African Americans have an incidence of 0.3 in 1,000 newborns