Mariza, Joseph, and Steven are just three of many precious children that our Austin Smiles team enjoyed meeting and helping last week in El Salvador. Cleft lips and/or palates occur in the United States at a frequency of roughly 1 in 700-1000 births (roughly 7000 babies per year) making them one of the most common birth defects. However, these problems arise with more than twice that frequency in Central America and in some Asian countries. Why? We are not completely sure.
Scientists continue to investigate the various contributing roles that genetics, nutrition, toxins, and environment play in creating these defects, … Read more