Incidence of lip and palate clefts in children in Niš from 1990 to 2007

Abstract

Introduction Cleft lip and palate is a complex congenital anomaly of the orofacial system in children. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of live-born children with cleft lip and/or palate compared to the total number of children born in the period from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2007. Methods Epidemiological investigation was based on the records of live-born children at the Hospital of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the Clinical Centre Niš. The study included 61,116 live-born children, i.e. 56,905 full-term babies. Results The total number of registered clefts during the investigation period was 43 (22 boys and 21 girls). The most frequent were the secondary palate clefts (44.2%); combined clefts were present in 34.9%, while primary palate clefts were reported in 20.9%. In respect to the season and order of birth, there was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of the primary, secondary and complete palate clefts. The age of mothers was not identified as a risk factor for the occurrence of cleft lip and palate. Conclusion In the studied period, 43 children were born with the cleft lip and/or palate, equally in boys as in girls. The secondary palate clefts were most frequent. The season and order of birth had no statistical influence on the occurrence of this anomaly.