Clinical and Demographic Factors Associated with Cleft Lip and Palate in South India: a Hospital Based Study

Cleft lip and palate is the one of the most common visible congenital deformities. Approximately 30% of oral clefts are syndromic and are associated with some anomalies. Global surveys have shown that the frequency of cleft lip and palate varies greatly from country to country. The present study analysed demographic and associated anomalies in children attending the high volume Smile Train center in South India. Two thousand and five children were examined in outpatient department by plastic surgeon and also screened by a pediatrician for associated anomalies and syndromes. Detailed family history and personal history were collected by the nurse coordinator. The collected data was analysed using SPSS software. In the present study cleft lip with cleft palate (CLP) was more frequent (58%) than cleft lip only (CL) (17%) and isolated cleft palate (CPO) (25%) The CLP and CL were more common in males and CPO was more common in females. Parents of 30.47% cases had the consanguineous marriage and 23% showed positive family history of clefts. Only 1.35% of oral clefts are associated with various syndromes, but 14.01% oral clefts were associated with malformations in several other organs. The results of the present study provide demographic details of the cleft children in the South India.