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Cleft Palates


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Cleft Palates

A cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth in which the two sides of the palate do not join together, as an unborn baby develops. A cleft palate can occur on one side (unilateral cleft palate), or on both sides (bilateral cleft palate). Cleft palates are one of the most common birth defects in the United States. Approximately, one in 600 newborns are born with cleft palates.

Cleft palates are congenital defects, or birth defects, that occur early in pregnancy. The majority of clefts tend to be due to a combination of genetics and environmental reasons. The risks of recurrence of a cleft condition is dependent upon numerous factors, including the number of affected persons in the family, the closeness of affected relatives, the race and sex of all affected persons, and the severity of the clefts.

The palate is made of bone and muscle and is enclosed by a thin, wet skin that forms the red covering inside the mouth. Its purpose is to split your nose from your mouth. The palate has a very symbolic role during speech, when you talk it prevents air from blowing out of your nose instead of your mouth. The palate is also very vital when eating. It prevents food and liquids from going up into the nose. During swallowing, the tongue presses up against the palate and pushes the chewed food to the back of the throat where it then goes down into the stomach.

Causes of Cleft Palates
Cleft palates can occur in conjunction with other syndromes or birth defects. There are numerous causes for these birth defects, including mutant genes inherited from one or both parents, drugs, viruses, and/or other toxins that may cause abnormalities in a developing fetus.

Symptoms of Cleft Palates
  • Separation of the palate
  • Nasal distortion
  • Ear infections
  • Inability to gain weight
  • Nasal regurgitations
  • Growth retardation
  • Misaligned teeth
  • Feeding problems
  • Poor speech
Legal Rights For Cleft Palate Defects
If you or a loved one has give birth and your child has been diagnosed with a cleft palate, please fill out the form to the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified birth defect attorney.
Cleft PalatesRSS Feed

Smoking During Pregnancy Ups Birth Defect Risks, May Lead to Fussy Babies

Nov 5, 2008 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
A mother's cigarette smoking during pregnancy not only increases the chances that her infant will be born with a cleft lip or palate, but can also have an effect on a baby's behavior, according to two new studies published in "The Journal of Pediatrics".  An accompanying editorial said that the studies' findings indicate that smoking has become a major pediatric health problem.In the first study, researchers from the March of Dimes and institutes in Norway, Holland, and...

Glaxo bipolar drug may be tied to defect

Sep 29, 2006 | AP
Federal health officials cautioned women Friday that use of a GlaxoSmithKline drug during the first three months of pregnancy shows possible links to birth defects. Newly reported data suggest a connection between the drug Lamictal, used to treat bipolar disorder and epilepsy, and lip defects in infants, according to a safety alert posted on the Food and Drug Administration's Web site. In a registry of 564 pregnant women who took the drug during the first trimester, five gave birth to babies...

Glaxo Bipolar Drug May Be Tied to Defects

Sep 29, 2006 | AP
Federal health officials cautioned women Friday that use of a GlaxoSmithKline drug during the first three months of pregnancy shows possible links to birth defects. Newly reported data suggest a connection between the drug Lamictal, used to treat bipolar disorder and epilepsy, and lip defects in infants, according to a safety alert posted on the Food and Drug Administration's Web site. In a registry of 564 pregnant women who took the drug during the first trimester, five gave birth to babies...

First-Trimester Exposure to Lamictal May Cause Oral Cleft

Sep 29, 2006 | Medscape
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified healthcare professionals regarding new preliminary information from the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry (NAAED), advising that fetal exposure to the oral antiepileptic drug (AED) lamotrigine (Lamictal, GlaxoSmithKline) during the first trimester of pregnancy may be linked to an increased risk for cleft lip or palate in newborns. Because more research is required to confirm this risk, women who are pregnant or thinking...

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