Work

Cumulative evidence for the association between maternal hypertension and cleft lip and palate in offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Year: 2026

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Objective Maternal hypertension has serious maternal and neonatal consequences. Evidence regarding the relationship between maternal hypertension and cleft lip and palate in offspring is limited and inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between maternal hypertension and the risk of cleft lip and palate in offspring. Methods We systematically searched the following English electronic databases to identify relevant observational studies for our analysis: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science, supplemented by a manual reference researches. Study screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessments were conducted independently by two researchers. A meta-analysis was performed using Stata 18.0 and Revman 5.3. Heterogeneity (I 2 statistics) and sensitivity analyses were carried out to ensure analytical rigor and robustness. Results The meta-analysis ultimately included 12 eligible studies, comprising 4,407,254 participants. Under the random-effects model, the analysis indicated an association between maternal hypertension and cleft lip and palate in offspring [OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.26, 1.64, p = 0.01]. Both maternal gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were associated with an increased risk of cleft lip and palate in offspring (gestational hypertension: OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.74, p = 0.01, preeclampsia: OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.11, 3.96, p = 0.02). Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of our results. Conclusion With our meta-analysis, we provide evidence for an association between maternal hypertension (particularly gestational hypertension and preeclampsia) and CLP in children. Given that residual confounding cannot be entirely excluded, caution is warranted in interpreting the conclusions of this study. More high-quality studies are needed to establish whether the association with maternal hypertension is causal. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO CRD420251152806.

Source: Frontiers in Oral Health

DOI: 10.3389/froh.2026.1725513

Authors: Xinping Cui, Bin Song, Qian Zhou, Siyu Yang, Yan Zeng

Institutions: North Sichuan Medical University, Southwest Medical University, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Cleft Lip and Palate Research

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,077