July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month.

The month is used to raise awareness and improve understanding of body birth defects.

Birth defects are typically present at birth and can range from mild to severe.

Craniofacial anomalies can be genetic, meaning that a child can receive a particular gene or combination of genes from one or both parents.

These genes may have changed at the time of conception, which results in a craniofacial anomaly.