Socioeconomic measures, orofacial clefts, and conotruncal heart defects in California.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association of multiple measures of socioeconomic status (SES) with risks of orofacial clefts and conotruncal heart defects.


METHODS
Data were from a recent population-based case-control study conducted in California that included 608 patients with orofacial clefts, 277 patients with conotruncal heart defects, and 617 nonmalformed controls.


RESULTS
The odds ratio for the worst versus best score on a household-level SES index was strongest for cleft lip with or without palate, at 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 0.9-3.4); the odds ratios for this comparison were closer to 1 and less precise for the other defect groups. An index based on neighborhood-level SES was also not associated with increased risk of the studied defects.


CONCLUSIONS
This detailed analysis of SES and selected birth defects did not suggest worse SES was associated with increased risk of the studied defects, with the possible exception of cleft lip with or without cleft palate.
Carmichael
Suzan L
SL
California Research Division, March of Dimes Foundation, Oakland, California 94609, USA. scarmichael@marchofdimes.com
Ma
Chen
C
Shaw
Gary M
GM
D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012923:Social Class