title: Prevalence and evaluation of environmental risk factors associated with cleft lip and palate in a central Indian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cleft lip and palate, the most common developmental deformity seen worldwide, may be either genetic or environmental in origin. Recent research clearly shows the inter-relationship between environmental risk factors and development of oral clefts. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cleft lip and palate in the Nagpur region of India and to evaluate environmental risk factors associated with the occurrence of this orofacial abnormality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The parents of infants born with or without cleft lip and palate were subjected to questionnaires that elicited sociodemographic profiles and histories of maternal dietary, medical, and environmental risk factors as well family histories of cleft. A multifactorial comparison of environmental risk factors associated with this deformity was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of cleft lip and palate and cleft palate was found to be 0.66% and 0.27%, respectively, in the Nagpur region. The results demonstrated a positive association between cleft lip and palate and the environmental risk factors of nutritional deficiency, anemia, and self-administered medications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several environmental risk factors appear to play an important role in the development of cleft lip and palate in a Central Indian population of low socioeconomic status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. riteshpedo@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Ritesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalaskar
authors.forename: Ashita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalaskar
authors.forename: Fatama Sana
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.forename: Gopal S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Tawani
authors.forename: Damayanti R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Walke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins