title: Congenital cleft deformities in Rivers state of Nigeria: is there any association with environmental pollution?
abstract: Thirty-nine children with congenital cleft deformities seen at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital over a four-year period (1984-87) were studied. The majority (69%) of the children came from PHALGA, OTELGA and ALGA, the areas of the state with a high concentration of oil wells, gas flares and a petroleum refinery. There is yet no proof that there is a cause and effect relationship between the deformities and the industrial pollution but attention has been drawn to the association, which may be real or apparent. Further prospective studies are indicated. Apart from the possible role of environmental pollution, other epidemiological factors discussed include parental age, socioeconomic class of the families and the significance of the absence of positive family history of cleft deformities in all the cases studied.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Datubo-Brown
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kejeh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants