Cleft Lip

[Anne]

I am a 34 year old woman from Glasgow born with a double cleft lip which has been repair in childhood.Apart from having to get 6 teeth extracted and a plate in place at the age of just 10 ive not had much problems in adult life.Although not proven there is a possibility that drugs taken while my mother was pregnant could have caused the cleft lip.My mum suffers from epilepsy and was taking anti convultion drugs during her early stages of pregnancy.Now that im at the stage of starting a family I would like to be reassured that my baby will not have this defect.How can it be proven if this is caused by drugs or is a genetic thing.Ive already been to genetics and no history of cleft in any of the family.

[Anne H]

Dear Anne: I know that you do not know me, but I like you was born with a cleft lip & palate. The way that I got mine was by my mother being a alcholic for years before I was born. While she was pregant with me, she was drunk each day and finaly one day, she fell down the basement stairs and ended up in a coma,paralize & with brain damage. When I grew up, I had 5 children and I have 2 grandchildren and not a one of them has my defect. So from my experience ask a doctor first to see if you would have the possibility of having a child with this birth defect. And if he or she saids no than go for it. I personally never had that cross my mind when I had my children. I hope that this helps you out alot.


I would like to know if that is alright with you what you decided. Here is my name Anne H my e-mail is thorne@buckeye-express.com


also my mother was 40 yrs. old when she had me. My sisters,brother,neices,or nephews and great nephews and neices were not born with this defect either. I hope that this helps you out in some way.