Orofacial clefts are birth defects involving the lip, palate, nose and eyes. Of these, cleft lip and palate are the most common ones and are found in approximately 1 in 750 live births in India.
In the cleft lip, the child’s lip is not formed, completely or partially. When there is a complete split of the lip, often the nose is also involved in the defect. This can be seen on one side or both sides of the upper lip. In some children, the lower lip also can be split.
A cleft lip can be isolated or associated with a cleft palate, which is a lack of formation of the roof of the mouth. These defects occur if the facial tissues do not come together during the second and third months of pregnancy.
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