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.
Cleft lip and/or palate is one of the most common problems found in newborn babies. Each year in the US, over 5,000 babies are born with clefts.