Maternal passive smoking and risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate

Abstract

Background: Maternal smoking has been consistently associated with increased risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P). Few studies have explored the possible effect of passive smoking. We examined the association between maternal passive smoking and the risk of CL/P among nonsmoking women in China.

Methods: Subjects included 88 infants with CL/P and 651 infants with no major external birth defects. Data were collected by trained health workers through face-to-face interviews.

Results: The odds ratio (OR) for CL/P associated with maternal passive smoking was 1.8 (95% confidence interval = 1.1-2.8). After adjustment for maternal occupation, periconceptional flu or fever, and infant sex, the risk was 2.0 (1.2-3.4). The adjusted ORs for exposure levels of 1-6 times per week and more than 6 times per week (at least 1 cigarette each time) were 1.6 (0.9-2.9) and 2.8 (1.5-5.2), respectively.

Conclusion: Maternal passive smoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for CL/P in offspring.