March 26, 2001 -- For women who require a little nudge in butting out, a recent study by the University of Michigan Health System’s program may provide them the inspiration that they need. The study cites that women who smoke while pregnant are 50 percent to 70 percent more likely than non-smokers to give birth to a baby with a cleft lip or palate.

Says co-author Steven Buchman, M.D., director of the Health System's Craniofacial Anomalies Program, "There are all sorts of reasons not to smoke anyway and this just adds another very important one in the prenatal and new-born care of the child. Cleft lip and palate make a huge difference in a child's life, and anything that can be done to reduce the risk is well worth it."

The risk of the disfiguring facial birth defect rises with the number of cigarettes that a mother-to-be smokes each day, even after factors like the mother's race, age and educational level are considered. The finding, based on the largest-ever examination of cleft lip and palate incidence nationwide, suggests that the deformity should be added to the list of potential harmful effects from smoking during pregnancy.

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