Cleft lip and palate is a common craniofacial birth defect, including cleft lip, palate, and cleft lip and palate, affecting 1 in 700 newborns [1]. Cleft mouth may be a symptom of other syndromes or may occur alone. The latter are called nonsyndromic oral clefts (NSOC).
NSOC** is complex and involves both genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors include genetics, family history, etc.; Environmental factors are usually related to the mother's lifestyle habits and health status during pregnancy, such as smoking, drug use, alcohol consumption, viral infections, etc., but they vary by ethnicity. Several studies investigating environmental factors in NSOC suggest that a history of maternal miscarriage may be associated with the development of NSOC in the child. However, there is no consensus on this association. Understanding the relationship between miscarriage history and NSOC can help inform public policies for prenatal care and the prevention of craniofacial deformities, which is essential to improve the quality of life for mothers and babies.
Therefore, a recent study [2] investigated and compared the history of miscarriage between mothers of children with NSOC and mothers of non-NSOC children to assess whether previous miscarriage was a risk factor for NSOC in the case of a second pregnancy.
Title: Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal of Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal: 192 Publication time: November 2023Study design and samples
This is a case-control study conducted in Brazil with 1004 participants using questionnaire interviews to collect previous miscarriages of mothers. The case group consisted of 502 mothers of children with NSOC, and the control group included 502 mothers of children without NSOC or other malformations or syndromes. For the case group, the cleft mouth was further divided into four types: cleft lip (CL), cleft palate (CP), cleft lip and palate (CLP), and combined cleft (combined multiple types of cleft). The incidence of previous miscarriage was compared between groups.
Research ideas
Research data
The mothers of the case group were recruited from a craniofacial malformation** hospital, and the control group was recruited from a local public health unit, and the information was collected in the form of questionnaire interviews.
1.Miscarriage rates were compared between groups
There was no statistically significant difference between 82 mothers in the case group and 80 mothers in the control group with a history of miscarriage (P=0.).93)。The rate of previous miscarriage was 14 for each of the five groups0%，17.8%，22.7%，15.0%，16.3% and 159%, compared with each other, there was no significant difference.
NSCLP: nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate; NSCL: nonsyndromic cleft lip; NSCP: nonsyndromic cleft palate.
2.Health conditions and lifestyle habits during pregnancy
The health status and lifestyle habits of mothers with previous miscarriage during pregnancy were analyzed, and no specific risk factors were found in the case group or the control group. The most frequently mentioned in these two groups were: tobacco exposure (active and passive), medication use during pregnancy, and mood changes.
Taken together, a history of miscarriage in the Brazilian population is not associated with NSOC and is not an independent risk factor for NSOC. However, this does not diminish the importance of checking the health status and lifestyle habits of pregnant women in order to guide reproductive planning and antenatal care.
References:[1]healthychildrenorg.caring for babies born with cleft lip and/or palate: aap report explained.
2]pereira mcm, silva cm, queiroz tb, neves ltd. oral cleft and maternal history of spontaneous abortion: a case-control study. cleft palate craniofac j. 2023 nov 15:10556656231213726. doi: 10.1177/10556656231213726. epub ahead of print. pmid: 37964519.
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