title: An epidemiologic study of orofacial clefts in Hamedan City, Iran: a 15-year study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiology of cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) in births in hospitals of Hamedan City, Iran, and to evaluate the etiologic factors that have a role in the development of these anomalies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was a 15-year cross-sectional study (1993 to 2008).
  
  
  METHODS
  All infants born with CL/P during the study period comprised the study group. One thousand healthy children without cleft anomalies born in the same hospitals during the study period comprised the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of CL/P was 1.016 per 1000 live births (53.4% boys and 46.6% girls). Cleft lip associated with cleft palate (CLP) was the most common type of anomaly (53.5%), followed by isolated cleft lip (CL; 28.7%) and isolated cleft palate (CP; 17.8%). Eighty-six babies (81%) had unilateral CL and 20 babies (19%) had bilateral CL. Twenty-three newborns with CL/P (17.8%) had other congenital deformities. The frequency of CL/P in parents, siblings, and relatives of newborns in study group was higher than in the control group. There was a significant difference between the study and control groups with respect to maternal drug intake, trauma, smoking, and x-ray exposure during pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The birth prevalence of CL/P in Hamedan City was closer to the prevalence of CL/P in the United States and Europe than Africa and the Far East. We found that the presence of cleft in parents, siblings, and other relatives; maternal drug intake; trauma; radiation; and smoking were risk factors for cleft development in newborns.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zandi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heidari
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D014965:X-Rays / Q000009:adverse effects