Cleft lip and cleft palate

A cleft lip is a birth defect. It is an opening in the upper lip that can expand into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate happens when the palate has an opening into the nose.
The disorder can result in feeding problems, speech problems, hearing problems, and frequent ear infections. Less than half the time the condition is connected with other disorders.
It is a birth defect and may be caused by smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Other things connected to this are the age of the mother (older mothers are more likely to give birth to children with birth defects) and the sex of the child (cleft lip is twice as common in boys than in girls).