Genetics and environmental factors are both considered instrumental in causing clefts. Cleft parents are known to be predisposed to having cleft children. But the main cause is attributed to the deficiency of Folic Acid during pregnancy. The other causes are radiation, pollution, nutritional deficiency, psychologically disturbed pregnant women, trauma, alcohol consumption, smoking, tobacco chewing during pregnancy. The development of cleft is not influenced by simple x- rays, medications taken under medical supervision, trivial illness, injuries etc.
