Maternal Smoking and Cleft Lip Study

Findings reported in the July 2008 issue of Epidemiology and August 2008 Ohio Dental Association Magazine site a four year study led by Dr.Rolv T. Lie at the University of Bergen,Norway that clearly associated first trimrster smoking with the risk of cleft lip. The study found that Woman who regularly smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day during the first trimester were almost twice as likely to have a baby with clept lip than non-smiokers. Also, woman that regularly breathe second-hand smoke for at least 2 hours a day, but are non-smokers had a 60% greater risk of having a cleft lip baby than woman not exposed to smoke. It is beleived variations of certain detxification genes may make people more or less vulnerable to the toxic effects of tobacco smoke. Studies in the past have linked pregnant mother's smoking to cleft lip and less consistently to cleft palate.