Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Cleft Lip without Cleft Palate by Year, New Jersey, 2000 to 2022
Indicator Report Data View Options
Why Is This Important?
Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the more common birth defects. A cleft is an opening or split in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth (palate) or both. Cleft lip and cleft palate result when developing facial structures in an unborn baby don't close completely.
Researchers believe that most cases of cleft lip and cleft palate are caused by an interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors can cause clefts, either as an isolated defect or as part of a syndrome that includes clefting. In some cases, babies inherit a gene that makes them more likely to develop a cleft, and then an environmental trigger actually causes the cleft to occur.
Environmental factors thought to contribute to clefting include: fetal exposure to cigarette smoke, alcohol, certain medications, illicit drugs and certain viruses. Other risk factors for clefting include: family history of clefts; maternal obesity; race (clefts are more common among American Indian and Asian children, and less common among Black children); and gender. Males are more likely to have a cleft lip with or without cleft palate, while females are more likely to have cleft palate without cleft lip.
Definition
Number of children born with cleft lip without cleft palate per 10,000 live births to women residing in New Jersey in a specified time interval.
Data Sources
- Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
(https://www.nj.gov/health/vital/) - Early Identification and Monitoring Program, Division of Family Health Services, New Jersey Department of Health
(https://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/eis/)
How the Measure is Calculated
Numerator:
Number of children born with cleft lip (without cleft palate) among live births to women residing in New Jersey in a specified time interval.Denominator:
Count of all live births to women residing in New Jersey in a specified time interval.
Related Health Objectives and Indicators
Environmental Public Health Tracking Indicator BD-7
Description: Prevalence of cleft lip without cleft palatehttps://ephtracking.cdc.gov/indicatorPages?selectedContentAreaAbbreviation=5&selectedIndicatorId=7