What are Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate?

Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. Together, these birth defects commonly are called “orofacial clefts.” The lip forms between the fourth and seventh weeks of pregnancy. As a baby develops during pregnancy, body tissue and special cells from each side of the head grow toward the center of the face and join together to make the face. This joining of tissue forms the facial features, like the lips and mouth. A cleft lip happens if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth. This results in an opening in the upper lip. The opening in the lip can be a small slit or it can be a large opening that goes through the lip into the nose. A cleft lip can be on one or both sides of the lip or in the middle of the lip, which occurs very rarely. Children with a cleft lip also can have a cleft palate.

Content provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For information and references about cleft clip and cleft palate, please visit Facts about Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate | CDC ​.

Rates of Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate: 2018–2020​

Overall​

By Age

​By Race and Ethnicity

*Per 10,000 live births

Data Source: California Birth Defects Monitoring Program Registry, 2018–​2020, California 10-County Catchment Area (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Orange, San Diego, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare)

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