Is cleft palate hereditary. The family?

family history of cleft lip or palate increases a child's risk of developing one. When a baby inherits a cleft-causing gene from either their mother or father, this genetic component – along with an environmental trigger – can interfere with the proper formation of the baby's lip. Women who smoke or drink alcohol, for example, may be more likely to give birth to a baby with a cleft than those who don't do either when expecting. Taking anticonvulsant medications to treat epilepsy during the first three months of a pregnancy can similarly increase the baby's risk of clefting. Medications used to treat acne, cancer, arthritis and psoriasis are also associated with this defect when taken in the early months of a pregnancy.