Corticosteroid use during pregnancy and risk of orofacial clefts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The association between the risk of orofacial clefts in infants and the use of corticosteroids during pregnancy is unclear from the available evidence. We conducted a nationwide cohort study of all live births in Denmark over a 12-year period.

Methods

We collected data on all live births in Denmark from Jan. 1, 1996, to Sept. 30, 2008. We included live births for which information was available from nationwide health registries on the use of corticosteroids during pregnancy, the diagnosis of an orofacial cleft and possible confounders.

Results

There were 832,636 live births during the study period. Exposure to corticosteroids during the first trimester occurred in 51,973 of the pregnancies. A total of 1232 isolated orofacial clefts (i.e., cleft lip, cleft p

SUBMITTER: Hviid A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3080529 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature