Cleft lip and palate
Cleft lip and cleft palate is relatively common, occurring roughly once in 600 live births. The majority of these abnormalities are isolated occurrences, however there may be a positive family history. Some cases have been linked to maternal corticosteroid therapy.
The distribution of occurrences of different types of cleft lip and/or cleft palate is approximately:
- cleft lip - a third
- cleft palate - a quarter
- cleft lip and palate - nearly half
The majority of cleft lip and/or palate cases are unilateral (80%), and are more common on the left side. Midline clefts of the nose and/or lip are rare deformities.
Reference
- Tanaka SA et al. Updating the epidemiology of cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2012 Mar;129(3):511e-8e.
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