DENTAL ASYMMETRY, MATERNAL OBESITY, AND SMOKING

This study examines the levels of fluctuating dental asymmetry in four samples of school children: those whose mothers were obese and had sm oked during the pregnancy concerned (n = 111); those whose mothers wer e obese non-smokers (n = 114); those whose mothers were non-obese smok ers (n = 104); and those whose mothers were lean non-smokers (n = 111) , The degree of fluctuating asymmetry was assessed by means of a resca led asymmetry measure. Obesity was defined as Quetelet's index in exce ss of 30, and smoking status as at least 20 cigarettes per day during the pregnancy concerned. When the magnitudes of fluctuating asymmetry in children of lean smokers were compared to the control group of lean nonsmokers, no significant univariate differences were found. Childre n of obese mothers, whether these smoked or not, were found to have si gnificantly raised levels of asymmetry. An analysis of variance confir med that the combination of obesity and maternal smoking was a signifi cant predictor of fluctuating dental asymmetry, The teeth involved ten ded to be the maxillary first incisor and molars. It is concluded that maternal obesity has a destabilizing effect on the developing fetus a nd that this effect appears to be enhanced in obese mothers who smoked . This effect was absent in lean mothers, irrespective of their smokin g status. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.