Even though cleft lips and palates are the most common human birth defects doctors are still not sure what actually causes them. There is no single reason for a cleft. Rather, there are genetic and environmental factors that make it more likely that a child is born with a cleft:
Many people still believe that cleft is given by god as a punishment, or that it is related to lunar or solar eclipses. This is not true and completely absurd. No person can be made responsible for the deformity.