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Cleft lip and palate is due to tissues of the face not properly joining together during development. They are a type of birth defect. The cause in most cases is unknown. Risk factors include smoking during pregnancy, diabetes, an older mother, obesity, and certain medications such as some used to treat seizures.
Cleft palate and cleft lip, also referred to as orofacial defects, are birth defects that affect more than 7,000 babies in the United States every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). A cleft lip occurs when there is a split or opening in the lip.