New Study: Tobacco Smoking and Oral Clefts in Infants [08/04-1]

Excerpts from: Tobacco smoking and oral clefts: a meta-analysis.

By Little J, Cardy A, Munger RG. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Scotland National Library of Medicine [04/16/04]


OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between maternal smoking and non-syndromic orofacial clefts in infants.

METHODS: A meta-analysis of the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy was carried out using data from 24 case-control and cohort studies.

FINDINGS: Consistent, moderate and statistically significant associations were found between maternal smoking and cleft lip, with or without cleft palate (relative risk 1.34, 95% confidence interval 1.25-1.44) and between maternal smoking and cleft palate (relative risk 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.10-1.35). There was evidence of a modest dose-response effect for cleft lip with or without cleft palate.

CONCLUSION: The evidence of an association between maternal tobacco smoking and orofacial clefts is strong enough to justify its use in anti-smoking campaigns.

Click here to view a similar study: Smoking and Orofacial Clefts: A United Kingdom–Based
Case-Control Study

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