National Institutes of Health - The primary NIH organization for
research on Cleft Lip and Palate is the National Institute of
Dental and Craniofacial Research Cleft lip and cleft palate are
birth defects that occur when a baby's lip or mouth do not form
properly. They happen early during pregnancy. A baby can have a
cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both. A cleft lip happens if the
tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before
birth. This causes an opening in the upper lip. The opening can
be a small slit or a large opening that goes through the lip
into the nose. It can be on one or both sides of the lip or,
rarely, in the middle of the lip. Children with a cleft lip also
can have a cleft palate. The roof of the mouth is called the
"palate." With a cleft palate, the tissue that makes up the roof
of the mouth does not join correctly. Babies may have both the
front and back parts of the palate open, or they may have only
one part open. Children with a cleft lip or a cleft palate often
have problems