Incidence
Posted on March 22nd, 2007
Incidence of Cleft Lip and Palate Deformities in the South-east of Scotland (1971-1990)
[Summary]1
This retrospective study reports the incidence of infants born with cleft lip and palate within the Edinburgh Cleft Units catchment area between 1971 and 1990.
The study comprised 502 patients, consisting of 291 males (58%) and 211 females (42%). It excluded submucous clefts, of which there were 23 cases in the period covered.
The overall incidence for cleft births over the 20-year period was 1.4 per 1000, or 1 in 711 live births. The variation ranged from 1 in 1013 in 1973, to 1 in 540 in 1987. While the incidence varies from year to year with quite dramatic swings, the incidence between the first and second 10-year period was not statistically significant (1:727 v 1:695).
53 infants (29 males, 24 females) presented with Pierre Robin sequence, and 92 with an associated syndrome.
25% of clefts affected the primary palate, while 45% affected the secondary palate. Bilateral cleft lip and palate affecting 11%, while the remaining 19% consisted of unilateral cleft lip and palate. Unilateral cleft lip and palate clefts are more prevalent on the left side (65%).
Females dominated isolated cleft palate accounting for 56% of the total. Male dominance was significant in both the cleft lip group (n=93 v 33) and the bilateral cleft lip and palate group (n=39 v 14).
The data presented in this study, including the dramatic year to year swings, was seen as consistent with previous studies reported in the UK literature.
- Bellis, T. H., Wohlgemuth, B. (1999) The Incidence of Cleft Lip and Palate Deformities in the South-east of Scotland (1971-1990). British Journal of Orthodontics, 26:121-125 [↩]
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