Cleft Palate Causes: Cleft Lip Causes

Cleft Lip Causes

Cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, is a congenital malformation that affects about 1 in every 700 live human births in the United States each year. Clefts occur more frequently among Asians (about 1:400) and certain American Indians than Europeans. Clefts are relatively less common among Africans and African Americans (about 1:1500).

Generally, facial clefting results when medial, lateral, and maxillary nasal processes on either left, right or both sides of the forming craniofacial complex do not fuse completely. Early embryonic changes (during the fourth and tenth weeks of gestation) may result in clefting. Suspected causes include: 1) environmental insults (i.e. maternal diseases, chemotherapy, radiation, alcohol, excess retinoic acid and anticonvulsant medications); or 2) genetic factors.

Cleft Lip Causes