Nicotine Exposure During Pregnancy Results in Persistent Midline Epithelial Seam With Improper Palatal Fusion.

Introduction: Nonsyndromic cleft palate is a common birth defect (1:700) with a complex etiology involving both genetic and environmental risk factors. Nicotine, a major teratogen present in tobacco products, was shown to cause alterations and delays in the developing fetus.

Methods: To demonstrate the postpartum effects of nicotine on palatal development, we delivered three different doses of nicotine (1.