Socio-environmental Factors Associated With Orofacial Clefts in 0-24 Months Children

Objectives: To determine the association between prenatal/socio-environmental factors with the presence of orofacial clefts in children from 0 to 24 months from the state of Guanajuato in Mexico.
Methods: Case and control study. n=63 cases and n=40 controls 0-24 months children, female and/or male from the state of Guanajuato-Mexico. Cases: Children presenting orofacial nonsyndromic clefts; patients from the clinic of UNAM in León-Guanajuato-Mexico. Controls: Children with no clinical evidence or diagnosis of orofacial clefts. Children were matched by age and sex with the cases. The data collection instrument was applied to the all parents of children. The general data are: state of health before and during pregnancy, children and parents condition as well as the exposition to environmental factors such as alcoholism, smoking or drug addiction. Results were analyzed by descriptive analyses (mean, mode and standard deviation).
Results: The study includes 19 out of 46 municipalities from the state of Guanajuato (%): León=34.9, Irapuato=14.2, Silao=7.9, Guanajuato=6.3 and other-communities 36.5. Sex of the children: 62%-men and 32%-women; average birth weight: 2,300±0.807g; according to gestational age: 28%-pre-term newborns, 63%-full-term newborn and 9%-post-term newborn. Mother's age, 23-average (21-30)±6.37 years. Father's age, 24-average (20.7-30)±6.51 years. 8.2%-mothers are housewives; 30.1% of fathers are: 22.2%-workers and 12.2%-day laborers. 65% of parents and 12.6% of mothers consume-alcohol; 46% of fathers and 15.8% of mothers are in the group of active tobacco-consumption and 28.5% of mothers live in a passive-tobacco consumption situation. The drug consumption is: fathers-9.5% and mothers-3.1%
Conclusions: The state of Guanajuato in Mexico has a high incidence of children born with cleft lip and palate. According to this study such condition is more common in men, all of them show low birth weight. The average age of parents is not different in men and women and their labour activity does not show conclusive results; whereas the habits of tobacco and alcohol consumption are conclusive for these results.