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.
SmokingâWomen who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with an orofacial cleft than women who do not smoke. DiabetesâWomen with diabetes diagnosed before pregnancy have an increased risk of having a child with a cleft lip with or without cleft palate, compared to women who did not have diabetes.5.