The Causes of Cleft Lip and/or Palate

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What causes Cleft Lip and/or Palate?

The exact cause of cleft lip and palate is unknown, but nonsyndromic cases of cleft lip/palate may be due to either genetic or environmental factors.

Is Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate Genetic? 

Over 30 gene mutations have been identified as being linked to cleft lip and palate, and parents with a family history of clefts have a higher risk of having a child with a cleft:

• If neither parent has a cleft lip/palate, the likelihood of having a child with cleft lip and/or palate is approximately 1 in 1,000. 
• If one parent has a cleft lip/palate, the likelihood of having a child with cleft lip/palate is estimated to be 5%. 

A genetic counselor may be able to provide an assessment of the risk of having a child, or a second child, with cleft lip and/or palate.

Are there environmental factors associated with cleft lip and/or palate?

There are also many environmental factors that have been associated with increased risk of cleft lip and palate, including:

• Exposure to various drugs (anti-seizure medications, ondansetron, diazepam, nitrofurantoin, corticosteroids, methotrexate) during pregnancy
• Maternal tobacco or alcohol use
• Maternal folate deficiency during pregnancy
• Maternal obesity
• Amniotic band sequence
• Maternal diabetes