Find out more about: 1  folic acid in pregnancy. 2  vitamin D in pregnancy. 3  iron in pregnancy.  vitamin C in 1  pregnancy. calcium in pregnancy.  vegetarian and vegan diets in 1  pregnancy. the Healthy Start scheme.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects. This means they happen while a baby is developing. Normally, the mouth and nose of a baby develop between the first 6 and 12 weeks of growth inside the mother. In some babies, parts of the lips and roof of the mouth don't grow together.
It is not unusual for a child who is born with a cleft palate to show a delay in both the onset of speech and the development of speech sounds during the first 9-24 months of age. Therefore, it is important to talk to your child and to encourage your child to talk to you.