How a mother's vitamin A during pregnancy affects a baby's risk and severity of cleft lip and palate
Official title: Impact of maternal dietary vitamin A on risk and severity of cleft lip/palate in genetically sensitized embryos
Funded at University of Missouri Kansas City · NIH-11321214 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether a mother's vitamin A intake during pregnancy changes the chance and severity of cleft lip or palate in babies who are genetically prone to it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri Kansas City NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | August 2, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $336,475 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD113989-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321214 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who are pregnant or planning pregnancy and who have a family history of cleft lip or palate, or parents of children with clefts, would be most interested in following this work and in potential future clinical studies.
✕Less likely to help
Because this project uses animal models and lab experiments, it will not provide immediate treatments or direct benefits to babies already born with clefts.
What this research studies
This work uses established mouse models that carry genes linked to cleft lip and/or palate to see how maternal vitamin A levels influence whether a cleft occurs and how severe it is. The team will alter vitamin A in the mother’s diet during pregnancy and examine embryos for cleft formation, sidedness (why one side is affected more often), and signs of in‑womb correction. They will use detailed imaging and genetic analyses to connect diet, embryo genetics, and outcomes. Results could guide future human studies on prenatal nutrition and prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform prenatal dietary guidance or lead to prenatal interventions that reduce the risk or severity of cleft lip and palate.
How similar studies have gone: Vitamin A has long been linked to cleft risk, but using mouse models to test maternal vitamin A as a modifier and to explore in‑utero correction is relatively new and not yet proven in people.
Where this research is happening
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University of Missouri Kansas City
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cox, Timothy Chilton — University of Missouri Kansas City
- Study coordinator: Cox, Timothy Chilton
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.