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Maternal risk factors in cleft lip and palate: case control study
1The Second Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Aichi-Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan.
The British Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
|April 28, 2000
Summary
Mothers of babies with clefts were more likely to have a family history of the condition. Early pregnancy illness and reduced alcohol/coffee intake were also noted in mothers of affected infants.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Genetics
- Public Health
Background:
- Cleft lip and palate are common congenital anomalies.
- Understanding risk factors is crucial for prevention and early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential risk factors associated with cleft lip and/or palate.
- To compare maternal and infant characteristics between cases and controls.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study matching 306 mothers of infants with clefts to 306 mothers of healthy infants.
- Data collected on family history, infant sex, maternal illness, and substance use during pregnancy.
Main Results:
- A significantly higher family history of clefts in the case group (48/306 vs. 7/306).
- Combined cleft lip and palate more common in boys; cleft palate alone more common in girls.
- Maternal illness in early pregnancy was more frequent in the case group (101/306 vs. 74/306).
- Mothers of infants with clefts reported lower alcohol and coffee consumption in early pregnancy.
Conclusions:
- Family history is a significant risk factor for clefts.
- Maternal illness and specific substance use patterns in early pregnancy may be associated with cleft development.
- Further large-scale multicenter studies are needed to validate these findings.