The cleft lip and palate are birth defects where the tissues in the mouth or lip do not form healthy during the fetal development; as a result a cut remains in the lip and upper cleft. Cleft lip and palate are found to occur 1 in 700 to 1000 birth defects; hence the result shows that it is one of the most common birth defects of kids all over the world. This defect can be detected through the prenatal ultrasound. If this birth defect is not detected through the prenatal ultrasound it can also be identified immediately after the birth.

The disease can be caused due to a combination of genetic and the environmental factors, such as drugs, alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy, or illness. This disease is more commonly found in kids with a family history of birth defects.

There is no known prevention of this disease.