What causes clefts of either the lip or the palate?
We do not know what causes a cleft lip and palate. Sometimes it can happen because there is a family history of the condition. Perhaps someone else in the family was born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. This is called ‘familial’. But sometimes a child is born with the condition when there is no family history and no known cause of the condition. This is known as ‘sporadic’ Cleft lip and cleft palate can occur by themselves or in some cases with other problems.
