Acta Medica Medianae

Acta Medica Medianae
Vol. 45
Number 2, April, 2006
UDK 61
YU ISSN 0365-4478

Contact:
Julija Radojicic
"ORTODENT"
24 Orlovic Pavle Street
18000 Nis, Serbia
Tel.: 018/ 521–912
E-mail: ortodent@bankerinter.net

INFECTIONS AND ANAEMIA IMPACT ON THE CLEFT LIP AND PALATE DEVELOPMENT

Julija Radojicic, Tatjana Tanic, Bozidar Radojicic and Andrija Radojicic

„ORTODENT"* in Nis
Clinic of Dentistry of Nis**

The risk factors that lead to development of the cleft lip and palate act very early, between the 4th and 12th week of intrauterine development. Most women in this ultimately critical period are unaware of being pregnant. Therefore, insufficient attention is being paid to the risk factors they are exposed to in that period, and which can lead to numerous fetus anomalies, among which one of the most significant is cleft lip and palate. The time to take actions is short and the reaction often late. It is necessary to identify the risk factors in the development of the cleft lip and palate, and prevent their damaging effects.
Hereby, we present the study of the influence of infections and chronic diseases on a mother in pregnancy. The investigation included children born in the period between March 1999 and December 2003, together with their parents. The study group comprised 96 children with the lip and palate anomalies, all treated at the Gynaecology Clinic in Nis (Neonatology ward), VMA (Military Medical Academy) Belgrade (Plastic Surgery Institute), Institute for Mother and Child Protection, New Belgrade, and the Children's Clinic in Tirs Street, Belgrade. The control group consisted of 142 healthy children.
During the first quarter, almost 40% of the mothers in the study group had viral infections (influenza), which is statistically significantly more in relation to only 6,34% of the mothers in the control group (p < 0,001). The results concerning infections as a possible risk factor in the development of the cleft lip and palate correspond with the results of other studies that dealt with the very same issue. It has been confirmed that this, seemingly harmless, yet very frequent illness in our area, can have catastrophic consequences to fetus.
The results indicated that the mothers in the study group had more often chronic diseases (p < 0,05), and in both groups anemia was statistically most pre-sent (p < 0,05). The presence of anemia in the study group is on the verge of signi-ficance (p=0,05) as related to the control one. It is important to note that anemia is for the first time described in literature as a possible risk factor in the development of the cleft lip and palate. Acta Medica Medianae 2006; 45(2):33-36.

Key words: infection, anemia, cleft lip and palate, prevention