"Cleft lip and palate definitely change a child's quality of life for the worse," says Chung. "Even though we can fix the external appearance, and we can also fix some of the internal deformities, their speech will always be quite different. They'll require as many as 10 to 20 surgeries throughout their life and the scar will always be there in the face."
The researchers embarked on the study in an attempt to provide more definitive information about a suspected possible connection between smoking and cleft lip and palate. Prior research elsewhere on smaller samples of newborns yielded conflicting results.
They gathered their statistics from the 1996 U.S. Natality Database, compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The database includes information compiled by physicians and nurses on each baby, as well as answers from new mothers to questions about their education, lifestyle and medical history. The 1996 data included 3,891,494 live births in all 50 states, and information on the pregnancy smoking habits in all states except California, Indiana, South Dakota and New York (excepting New York City).
Of the births in states with smoking data, 2,207 babies were recorded as having cleft lips, palates or both. Chung and Buchman took a random representative sample of 4,414 babies born without birth defects, and compared the smoking habits of the babies' mothers.
This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
