Pregnancy: Alcohol, cigarettes during pregnancy can cause cleft lips

A pregnant woman can cause birth defects on her unborn child through drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and using certain drugs (Shutterstock)

Having a baby is a miraculous and a beautiful journey but any birth defects can kill the joy, cause worry and anxiety.

One birth defect is a cleft lip or palate or having a split on the upper lip or roof of the mouth and which in some communities come with stigma.