Anewborn has been diagnosed with cleft lip and cleft palate. the parents ask, how did this happen?

It was caused during the development of the child before it was born. As it was forming, the tissue did not fuse together. The cause of this could have been what the mother came in contact with, such as food, drinks, or what medications she was taking.

During the development of fetus, tissues of face and mouth didn't fuse properly so they remained open when the fetus was in the process of development.

Explanation: Many factors can cause this condition such as exposure of a mother to some environmental conditions, what mother eats during pregnancy like some medicines, alcohol. May be the parents contained the gene that can cause this condition. This condition is inherited sometime if there is the history of this condition in the family. Sometimes, obese and diabetic women also gives birth to a baby with the condition of cleft lip and cleft palate.

does it have options?

what do we need our phalanges for?