Had prevalence of cleft lip and palate differed during the Iran-Iraq war?

Cleft lip and palate are among the most common congenital defects with multifactorial etiology, and maternal stress may have a role in the development of the malformation; thus, the aim of this study was to explore the role of war on cleft lip and palate (CL/P) prevalence.In this study, records of 101,435 newborn infants delivered in the teaching hospitals of Mashhad and Ahwaz during wartime (1982-1987) and recent years (2005-2010) were reviewed. Samples were analyzed for prevalence of anomaly in both cities at 2 time intervals as well as some related factors; χ and t tests were used for data analysis.Results showed the incidences of CL/P in Mashhad during 1982 to 1987 and 2005 to 2010 were 2 and 2.2 per 1000 live births, respectively; however, its incidence in Ahwaz was 1 per 1000 during wartime and 0.7 per 1000 live births for recent years.Despite significant differences that were found in the prevalence of both cities in recent years (P = 0.001), no significant differences were observed during wartime (P = 0.28).The results revealed that CL/P was more prevalent in both cities, but in contrast to Ahwaz, cleft lip was more prevalent than isolated cleft palate in Mashhad, and significant differences were found between both cities (P = 0.007).The study concluded that the prevalence of CL/P in Ahwaz decreased after the war. However, in Mashhad, its prevalence, which was not affected during wartime, gradually increased. Thus, genetic research may be necessary to establish a genetic predisposition in northeast Iran.