Fetal cleft lip belongs to the category of fetal malformations. For pregnant women, it is best to understand the causes of fetal cleft lip in order to better prevent the occurrence of cleft lip in the fetus. So, what are the reasons for fetal cleft lip? Next, we will introduce the six major causes of fetal cleft lip for your reference only.
1. Nutritional factors
Vomiting and picky eating during pregnancy can affect nutrient intake and lead to vitamin deficiency in women. In animal experiments, feeding pregnant mice with foods lacking vitamin A and E increases the likelihood of giving birth to cleft lip (cleft palate) offspring.
2. Drug factors
Some drugs can affect embryonic development through the placental barrier, such as sleeping pills, anti allergic drugs, phenytoin, adrenal cortex hormones, cyclophosphamide, and other drugs, all of which can cause fetal malformations.
3. Viral infection
In early pregnancy (within 2 months), if the pregnant mother has rubella virus infection, it may become a cause of cleft lip in the baby.
4. Endocrine effects
Experimental results have shown that pregnant mice injected with adrenal cortex hormones daily for 9-11 days after pregnancy are more likely to give birth to young mice with cleft lip and palate. So, if pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy (within 8 weeks) increase the secretion of adrenal cortex hormones in their bodies due to physiological, psychological, or injury reasons, it can also lead to congenital malformations in infants.
5. Exposure to radiation
If pregnant women are exposed to radiation in early pregnancy, it may also cause cleft lip in the fetus.
6. Genetic factors
A significant portion of cleft lip and palate is hereditary, with a rate of approximately 4% of offspring developing the disease if their immediate family members have cleft lip. The probability of cleft lip and palate occurring in the first child is generally 1/600, and if the first child has cleft lip and palate, the probability of cleft lip and palate occurring in the second child is 3/100.
What are the causes of cleft lip in fetuses? The six major causes of fetal cleft lip have been introduced above, including nutritional factors, medication factors, viral infections, endocrine effects, radiation, and genetic factors. Therefore, in order to prevent fetal cleft lip, we need to start with these six major reasons, so as to effectively prevent the occurrence of cleft lip in fetuses.
