Maternal exposure to organic solvents increases the risk of having a child with an oral cleft defect
The lips form between the fourth and seventh weeks of pregnancy.
A cleft lip occurs if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth. The roof of the mouth forms between the sixth and the ninth week of pregnancy.
If the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth, medically known as the palate, does not join together completely during pregnancy, cleft palate is diagnosed.
Children with oral cleft defects often have other health problems, as:
- problems with feeding
- difficulty speaking clearly
- frequent ear infections
- hearing problems
- problems with their teeth
The main source of PFAS on military bases throughout the country is the use of AFFF by military firefighters and trainees to extinguish jet fuel and petroleum fires. This fire suppressant, while very effective, contains PFAS, which are forever chemicals, meaning that once they are released into the environment, they persist. In the regrettable case that your child was born with a cleft lip or cleft palate and you lived at Camp Lejeune while you were pregnant, you might be able to recover financial compensation on behalf of your child with the help of our resourceful legal team if you meet the eligibility criteria.
According to a study from the medical journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, exposure to oxygenated, chlorinated, and petroleum solvents increases the risk of pregnant women giving birth to a child with an oral cleft defect. The risk increased linearly with the level of exposure within the 3 subgroups of oxygenated solvents we considered - aliphatic alcohols, glycol ethers, and other oxygenated solvents, including esters, ketones, and aliphatic aldehydes.
