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Published on: February 12, 2015
Smoking and orofacial clefts: a United Kingdom-based case-control study
J Little1, A Cardy, M T Arslan
1University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland. j.little@abdn.ac.uk
Summary
Maternal smoking during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of oral clefts in newborns. This includes cleft lip and cleft palate, with evidence of a dose-response relationship and a potential role for passive smoke exposure.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Orofacial clefts are common birth defects with multifactorial causes.
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a known risk factor for certain congenital anomalies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal smoking and orofacial clefts in the United Kingdom.
- To examine the relationship between smoking during pregnancy and specific types of oral clefts.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted in Scotland and Northwest England.
- Mothers of 190 children with oral clefts and 248 controls were interviewed about tobacco smoke exposure.
- Cases included cleft lip with or without cleft palate and cleft palate.
Main Results:
- Maternal smoking in the first trimester was associated with an increased risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (OR 1.9) and cleft palate (OR 2.3).
- A dose-response relationship was observed for both types of clefts.
- The study could not exclude a potential effect of passive smoking.
Conclusions:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of oral clefts, including cleft palate, which aligns with existing evidence.
- A dose-response effect of maternal smoking was evident in UK data.
- Public health campaigns should highlight the risks of maternal smoking on oral cleft development.
