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Maternal cigarette smoking and oral clefts: a population-based study
American Journal of Public Health
|May 1, 1987
Summary
Mothers who smoked during pregnancy had a significantly higher risk of having infants with oral clefts, including cleft lip and cleft palate. This association showed a dose-response relationship, meaning more smoking increased the risk.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Pediatric Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Oral clefts are common birth defects with multifactorial causes.
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a known risk factor for various adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the occurrence of oral clefts.
- To determine if a dose-response relationship exists between smoking amount and cleft risk.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1984 data from the Maryland Birth Defects Reporting and Information System.
- Case-control study comparing mothers of infants with oral clefts to mothers of infants with other defects.
- Statistical adjustment for confounding variables.
Main Results:
- Mothers of infants with oral clefts (cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and cleft palate) smoked more during pregnancy (OR=2.56 and 2.39, respectively).
- A significant dose-response relationship was observed between the quantity of daily smoking and the risk of oral clefts.
- The observed association remained after adjusting for potential confounding factors.
Conclusions:
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a significant risk factor for oral clefts.
- The findings highlight the importance of smoking cessation for pregnant women to reduce the risk of birth defects.