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Smoking during pregnancy and congenital limb deficiency
1Department of Human Genetics and Teratology, National Institute of Hygiene-WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Control of Hereditary Diseases, Budapest, Hungary.
Objective:
To examine genetic and environmental factors in the origin of isolated congenital limb deficiencies.
Design:
Case-control study with questionnaire at a family interview of cases of isolated congenital limb deficiencies (six types), negative controls (matched for age, sex, and place of residence), and positive controls (cases of sentinel anomalies).
Setting:
The database of the Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry, 1975-84, complemented by three other sources of ascertainment (1,575,904 births).
Subjects:
537 case-control pairs; 392 positive controls.
Main Outcome Measures:
Smoking during pregnancy, congenital limb deficiencies.
Results:
The adjusted rate of smoking during pregnancy was significantly higher in the mothers of cases of terminal transverse defect (relative odds 1.48; 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 2.23; P = 0.017). This finding supports the hypothesis of vascular disruption as a cause of congenital limb deficiency.
Conclusions:
Maternal smoking during pregnancy raises the relative odds for terminal transverse limb deficiencies.