War in the Middle East and the Incidence of Cleft Lip and Palate

Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to study the effects of the war against ISIS during period (2014-2018) on the incidence of cleft lip and palate and the appearance of different congenital anomalies. Materials and Methods: The collected sample consists of 320 newborn babies (160 patients and 160 infants as a control). The examined patients and controls were all included in this study, while the authors exclude those who born to relative parents, and if the mothers had taken any medications during pregnancy. All newborn cases and controls were physically examined by the research team, and a questionnaire was completed after obtaining the informed consent of mothers and/or fathers. Results: In this study, the authors found that 160 patients out of 40,500 live births were born with cleft lip and/or cleft palate, so their percentage was 0.39% from population, that is mean approximately 4 infants affected per each 1000 live births. The risk of cleft development among children who born to fathers who participated in long fighting against the terrorists was (OR = 44.333, 95% CI: 20.176-97.417). The associated combined anomalies were found in 88 patients (79%) especially among those whom fathers participated in the war Conclusion: From this study the authors can conclude that the dramatic increase in the incidence of cleft lip and palate and the appearance of different associated anomalies in the south of Iraq is due to the direct effect and impact of the war and the used toxic bombs on the chromosomal changes of the parents and the developing fetus.