Causes of Cleft Lip and Palate

Jonathan Alexander Abt

CAUSES OF Cleft Lip and Palate

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Jonathan Alexander Abt

Causes of Cleft Lip and Palate Cleft lip and palate is the name given to a craniofacial abnormality that presents in approximately one in every 700 babies born in the UK. There are varying degrees of the condition, ranging from a small notch in the upper lip to more serious abnormalities that can affect speech, hearing and other health issues.

Jonathan Alexander Abt

Some people may have a genetic pre-disposition to cleft lip and palate if there is a family history. However, sometimes it occurs as a ‘one-off’.

A COMBINATION OF FACTORS

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

There is no single identified cause of cleft lip and palate. Research suggests that it is caused not by a single factor, but by a mixture of factors both environmental and genetic. There has been nothing identified that pregnant mothers can do to prevent the condition from occurring.

Environmental factors are those which occur during pregnancy, such as how the baby begins to grow in the uterus or whether the mother has taken certain medicines. However, the combination of factors cannot be predicted, identified, or prevented.

GENETIC FACTORS Some people may have a genetic pre-disposition to cleft lip and palate if there is a family history. However, sometimes it occurs as a ‘one-off’.

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JONATHAN ALEXANDER ABT You can learn more about cleft lip and palate and the treatments available by visiting the blog of Jonathan Alexander-Abt.