Contemporary Etiology of Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate in Southern Eastern Poland

Background/Objectives: There is a need to search for risk factors of CL/P, most common facial congenital deformity due to its multifactorial aetiology. The aim of this study was assessment of possible external factors influencing the occurrence of nonsyndromic CL/P. Methods: Retrospective - prospective case record analysis was performed on the sample of 224 consecutive treated patients. The data were obtained from medical records and questionnaires answered by children’s parents. Results: Factors increased the risk of CL/P were: increased fathers’ age (p=0.014), mothers’ infections in the first trimester of pregnancy (p<0.001), maternal passive smoking (p=0.001) and stress during the first trimester of pregnancy (p=0.003). Folic acid mothers’ intake in the first trimester of pregnancy reduced the risk of a CL/P in a newborns by 0.19 times. Increased fathers age was not related with the occurrence of isolated CL. Stress factor did not increased the risk of isolated CP etiology. Folic acid intake in the first trimester of pregnancy did not influenced CLP occurrence. Conclusions: CL/P in the group of Southern Eastern Poland children was related with increased father’s age and maternal external risk factors: infections, passive tobacco smoking and severe stress during the first trimester of pregnancy. Folic acid intake during first trimester reduced the risk CL and CP.