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When I was pregnant, I had a dream that felt so real. My dream was that my baby had a cleft lip. The dream scared me so much that I never told anyone during my pregnancy. I had no idea it was preparing me for what was to come. My daughter was born with a cleft in her soft palate and that dream became part of my journey. Let me share what it taught me and how it shaped my story.
The moment she was born the first thing I thought of was “Thank goodness the dream did not come true! She was 9 lbs and beautiful!
Unfortunately, the pediatrician later came into the room and told us that although she was extremely healthy, he had found a cleft in the soft palate of her mouth. This was in the "roof" of her mouth.
I screamed, "The Dream came TRUE ! The medical providers could not give me a reason WHY this could have happened. This was the beginning of my journey to try and figure out why my baby had a cleft palate.
I felt like I had let my baby girl down. I am a functional registered dietitian with a Master's Degree in Nutrition, and I had worked so hard to take care of her during my pregancy. I ate nourishing food, I took my prenatal vitamin and I was physically active.. I also found out at 5 weeks that I was pregnant which allowed me to be even more hypervigilant with my prenatal care. I have spent the last 28 years looking at numerous factors that may have contributed to my child's cleft palate.
It was heartbreaking to see her struggle. Her formula came through her nose. It took hours to feed her, and she quickly lost weight. I pumped my breast milk and tried to feed her with a small bottle with the holes punched bigger since she had little suction. All of the fluid going through her nose and back to her eustachian tubes caused many ear infections. This led to further complications and ear surgery as a 7 year old.
We were working backwards. We had to wait many months until she weighed enough for surgery. Also, if you are reading this and you have had a child that has had a cleft of any type, you may relate that it is also a a very lonely time. Friends may care but they truly just do not know what you are going through. It is exhausting physically and emotionally. It was such a stressful time.
What I have learned after all of these years of study. I do have some
genetic SNPs that could HAVE BEEN Contributing FACTORS including a folic acid to
folate conversion (MTHFR) as well as issues with other genes that involve methylation. This could have meant that my body could not have efficiently converted the folic acid in my prenatal vitamin to folate. But, there is much more to it. Genes work in SYMPHONY!
I am also a poor detoxifier. What that means is that when my body gets exposed to environemental chemicals, it has a harder time detoxifying them. I feel in my gut that this was a big part of it. This is not uncommon. I see it in my clients frequently. There is
a pandemic of people that have become chemically sensitive due to all of the exposure of enviromental chemicals.
I unfortunately started sleeping on a waterbed when I got married. I slept on that bed before and throughout my pregnancy. Every night I smelled a "beach ball" smell. That smell was "phthalates " which are endocrine disruptors. Waterbeds can also have mold which can be an additional endocrine disruptor.
Research shows that phthalates and BPA: chemicals found in plastics, receipts, cosmetics, and cleaning products and more may disrupt fetal development.
Here is a more detailed overview:
Phthalates are synthetic chemicals used to make plastics flexible and enhance
the durability of fragrances. They are often referred to as “plasticizers.” These
chemicals can disrupt hormones and are linked to health concerns like
reproductive issues and developmental problems.
Common Products Containing Phthalates:
• Personal Care Products: Shampoo, conditioner, lotions, nail polish, and
perfumes (often labeled as “fragrance”).
• Plastics: Food packaging, plastic wraps, and containers (especially those
marked with recycling codes 3 or 7).
• Household Items: Vinyl flooring, shower curtains, and synthetic leather.
• Children’s Products: Some toys, teething rings, and baby care items.
• Medical Equipment: IV bags, tubing, and other plastic-based hospital
tools.
To minimize exposure, look for “phthalate-free” labels and choose products with
safer alternatives.
BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical used to harden plastics and line metal
products. It is an endocrine disruptor, meaning it can interfere with hormones,
and is linked to health issues like reproductive problems, developmental delays,
and certain cancers.
Common Products Containing BPA or Derivatives:
• Plastic Containers: Water bottles, food storage containers, and some
kitchenware (especially hard, clear plastics marked with recycling codes 3 or 7).
• Canned Foods: Metal can linings often contain BPA.
• Receipts: Thermal paper receipts are a significant source of BPA.
• Medical Devices: Some dental sealants and composites.
• Electronics: Compact discs, cell phones, and household appliances.
To reduce exposure, choose “BPA-free” products, use glass or stainless steel
containers, and limit canned food consumption. Many products that may say BPA
Free contain derivatives of BPA such as BPS and BPF. Plastics should just be
avoided as much as possible.
In animal studies, high exposure to phthalates have been linked to conditions like CLEFT
PALATE which is a gap in the roof of the mouth that occurs during pregnancy. It was this recent study that convinced me that my exposure during pregancy to these environmental chemicals may have been a major contributing factor to my baby being born with a cleft in her soft palate.
My baby girl is now 28 years old now and is healthy and strong. She does not have any difficulty with speech. The medical providers told me that she would have issues with speech, but I would not allow myself to believe that. She did speech therapy for many years. It still causes her Mama pain to think back on all that she went through for many years. My hope is that by sharing just part of this story, it will lead to a healthiier pregnancy for other women. ❤️
If you would like to know more about how environmental chemicals can impact your
health, please contact me. I have made it a big part of my practice and my life's work. It is easy to do a urine test also through Vibrant labs to get an overview of what you are being exposed to. There is a self service link below. I can also order it for you and interpret it.
Also, I only wish I knew more about my genetics before I got pregnant . Much of the research with genetics only began 30 years ago as a result of the human genome project. If you have the raw data from a test like 23andme or Ancestry, it is easy to look at your genetic snps. The charts I showed were from Genetic Lifehacks which is an incredible tool. You can order you own detailed "cheat sheet" at a very reasonable cost.
I also use Self Decode if you do not already have your own raw data. This program gives you detailed genetic information and you can still take your raw data and utilize "Genetic Lifehacks".
There is so much you can do to have a healhier pregnancy, baby and improve your overall health. Eat nourishing whole real foods with plenty of protein, take a high quality prenatal multivitamin with methyl folate and not folic acid, move your body and avoid environmental chemicals!
Even if you have already had your children, the recommendations I have shared will only lead to a healthier life for everyone!
Jana Davis MS,RDN
References:
1.Sainan Li, Haiyan Zhu, Chen Yang, Chengrong Wang, Jufen Liu, Lei Jin, Zhiwen Li, Aiguo Ren, Linlin Wang, Prenatal co-exposure to phthalate metabolites and bisphenols among
non-syndromic cleft lip and palate in offspring. Environmental Pollution.Volume 362,2024,125001.
Trasande ,L. (2019), Sicker, Fatter, Poorer, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co.
3 Baker NC, Sipes NS, Franzosa J, Belair DG, Abbott BD, Judson RS, Knudsen TB. Characterizing cleft palate toxicants using ToxCast data, chemical structure, and the biomedical literature. Birth Defects Res. 2020 Jan 1;112(1):19-39. doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1581. Epub 2019 Aug 30. PMID: 31471948; PMCID: PMC8454266.
4.Buser MC, Pohl HR. Windows of Sensitivity to Toxic Chemicals in the Development of Cleft Palates. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2015;18(5):242-57. doi: 10.1080/10937404.2015.1068719. Epub 2015 Aug 20. PMID: 26503716; PMCID: PMC5642923.
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