title: Analysis of potential oral cleft risk factors in the Kosovo population.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the association of potential risk factors such as positive family cleft history, smoking, use of drugs during pregnancy, and parental age with oral clefts in offspring within the Kosovo population. We conducted a population-based case-control study of live births in Kosovo from 1996 to 2005. Using a logistic regression model, 244 oral cleft cases were compared with 488 controls. We have excluded all syndromic clefts. Heredity increases the risk of clefts in newborns [odds ratio (OR) = 8.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.12-23.52]. Clefts were also associated with smoking (OR = 1.87, 95% CI 0.75-4.08), use of drugs during pregnancy (OR = 2.25, 95% CI 0.82-5.12), increasing maternal age (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.42-2.49), and increasing paternal age (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.2- 1.4). We found heredity to be the most important factor for cleft occurrence in Kosovar newborns. Another significant potential risk factor for occurrence of clefts is the parental age. We found the use of drugs and smoking during pregnancy to be less significant.
authors.affiliation: 1 Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salihu
authors.forename: Blerim
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krasniqi
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sejfija
authors.forename: Nijazi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heta
authors.forename: Nderim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salihaj
authors.forename: Agreta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geci
authors.forename: Milaim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sejdini
authors.forename: Hysni
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arifi
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Isufi
authors.forename: Brett A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Ueeck
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000209:etiology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D063826:Kosovo; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors