Family history and risk factors for cleft lip and palate patients and their associated anomalies

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several environmental and genetic issues have been suspected as risk factors for oral clefts; and many studies have been conducted in this regard; however, large socioeconomic impacts of cleft lip and or palate (CL/P) justifies the need for further multifactorial researches. Current study aimed to assess parental risk factors for CL/P and its associated malformations.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hospital records of 187 consecutive syndromic and non-syndromic children with cleft lip and or palate (103 boys and 84 girls) with a mean age of 1.7 (SD 2.2) years and 190 consecutive non-cleft children (103 boys and 87 girls) with a mean age of 2.8 (SD 2.2) years formed this study. Parental risk factors and abnormalities and physical problems and anomalies were evaluated in all subjects.

RESULTS: Family history of clefts (OR 7.4; 95% CI), folic acid consumption (OR 7.3; 95% CI) and consanguineous marriage (OR 3.2; 95% CI) were quite strongly associated with increased risk of CL/P. In addition, all congenital abnormalities and physical problems had significantly higher incidence in CL/P patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that expecting mothers of consanguineous marriage and families with a history of CL/P should be extra cautious about the occurrence of CL/P.