Orofacial Cleft 1 Candidate Gene 1 (OFCC1)

Orofacial clefts are birth defects where mouth or roof of mouth do not form properly. A cleft is a separation in a body structure, often resulting from the failure of tissues to grow together properly. Oral facial clefts may involve the lip, the roof of the mouth (hard palate) or the soft tissue in the back of the mouth (soft palate). Cleft lip is a separation of two sides of lip and often includes the bones of the maxilla and/or the upper gum. A cleft lip varies from notch in lip to a cleft extending up into nose. Sometimes there is a cleft or notch in the gum as well.Cleft palate is an opening in roof of mouth. The two sides of the palate fail to join together or fuse. Most cleft palates involve the hard palate at the front of the roof of the mouth, but the soft palate at the back of the roof of the mouth can also have a cleft.