Cleft Lip and/or Palate: 10 Years Experience at a Pediatric Cleft Center in Southern Thailand

Abstract

Objective: To study the clinical characteristics, demographic data, and associated congenital anomalies of pediatric patients with cleft lip and/or palate in Southern Thailand. Design: Retrospective, hospital-based study. Setting: Cleft Clinic Center, Songklanagarind Hospital Participants: Children with cleft lip and/or palate who were born or seen at Songklanagarind Hospital between January 1997 and December 2006. Main Outcome Measure: Clinical features including demographic data, types of cleft, associated anomalies, family history of clefts, and physical growth. Results: A total of 153 children were seen during the studied period, of whom 36 (23.5%) had isolated cleft lip, 32 (20.9%) had isolated cleft palate, and 85 (55.6%) had combined cleft lip and palate. Twenty-seven children (17.7%) had a family history of clefts. Congenital malformations (syndromic cleft) were found in 20 children (13%), and chromosomal abnormalities were found in four of these (20%). There were no significant differences among the three groups (isolated cleft lip, isolated cleft palate, and combined cleft lip and palate) in maternal and paternal ages, gestational age, birth weight, family history of cleft, or associated malformations. The physical growth parameters of children with nonsyndromic cleft were the same as in the general population. Children with syndromic cleft were significantly lighter at birth and had grown up significantly shorter and lighter, with smaller head circumference. Conclusions: Chromosomal abnormalities are commonly found in children with syndromic cleft. Children with nonsyndromic cleft have normal growth; whereas, those with syndromic cleft have some degree of prenatal and postnatal growth restriction.