Cleft lip and cleft palate, also called "orofacial clefts," are both birth defects where a baby's lip or mouth doesn't develop properly during pregnancy. New research found that a cleft lip doesn't cause long-term health issues to a child, but the same cannot be said for those with cleft palate.
A cleft lip, which occurs between the fourth and seventh weeks of conception, happens when the tissue that makes up the lip doesn't fuse entirely before birth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Babies with cleft lip have an opening in the upper lip, which can be fixed surgically.
A cleft lip can appear on one or both sides of the lip, or the rarer cases -- in the middle part of the lip. Children who have cleft lip, which can be detected via an ultrasound, can also have a cleft palate.
Babies with cleft palate, on the other hand, have their palates (roof of the mouth) not joined together completely. The condition develops between the sixth and ninth weeks of pregnancy.
In some cases, infants with cleft palate have both the front and back parts of the palate open. Other babies only have part of the palate open.
A recent study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that babies born with cleft palate have a slightly increased risk of having autism, severe learning disabilities, and intellectual impairments, Health24 reported from HealthDay. Babies with cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, have no similar risks.
Dr. Edward McCabe, chief medical officer for the non-profit organization March of Dimes that benefits mothers and babies, said that the study's findings are reassuring for families with babies that have cleft lip detected during an ultrasound. The results of the research, however, can be alarming for infants with a cleft palate.
McCabe stressed that the study's findings do not mean "that every baby with a cleft palate is going to have problems, but there is an increased risk," Health24 further revealed. Cleft palate affects around 2,650 babies in the United States, while cleft lip (with or without cleft palate) occurs in approximately 4,440 infants annually, the CDC noted.
Babies with a cleft lip (with or without a cleft palate) or a cleft palate alone have difficulties in feeding and speaking clearly as they grow up. They can also have ear infections, hearing issues and teeth problems. Cleft lip and cleft palate may be caused by inherited genes, smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy, obesity, insufficient folic acid during pregnancy and taking certain medications in early pregnancy such as anti-seizure medicines and steroid tablets, the National Health Service reported.
