“July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness and improve understanding of orofacial clefts (clefts of the lip and palate) and other conditions of the head and face (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). About 1 in every 1,600 babies is born with cleft lip with cleft palate in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). What are the potential effects of orofacial clefts and other craniofacial conditions on the child? Children with orofacial clefts and other craniofacial conditions often have impaired ability to feed and impaired language development, and might be at increased risk for a greater number of ear infections, hearing issues, and problems with their teeth.

Recently childlife.org found the following information about this diagnosis.  In 2023 important findings from research studies about some factors that increase the chance of having a baby with an orofacial cleft:

• Smoking―Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a baby with an orofacial cleft than women who do not smoke.
• Diabetes―Women 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.
• Use of certain medicines―Women who used certain medicines to treat epilepsy, such as topiramate or valproic acid, during the first trimester (the first 3 months) of pregnancy have an increased risk of having a baby with cleft lip with or without cleft palate, compared to women who didn’t take these medicines.”

Association of Child Life Professionals (National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month ​)