Cleft lip and palate in Jordan: Birth prevalence rate

Objective and Design: A retrospective investigation was conducted to determine the prevalence rate of Jordanian children born with oral clefts from 1991 to 2001. Setting: Hospital surgical records from two main sources were used to identify all children born with orofacial clefting. Information about date of birth, sex, cleft types, and associated major anomalies and syndromes were recorded. Results: The overall prevalence rate for live births with cleft lip, cleft palate, or both was 1.39 per 1000 live births. Thirty percent of the clefts identified affected the lip, 22 percent affected the palate, and 48 percent involved the clefts of the lip and palate. In general, higher prevalence rates were found for boys than girls (55% boys versus 45% girls). There was a statistically significant sex difference between the cleft types. Clefts of the isolated palate, however, were more common in girls. Eighteen percent of patients with cleft were associated with major anomalies or syndromes. Conclusions: The reported prevalence rate for orofacial clefts among Jordanians is similar to the previously reported prevalence rate in white Caucasians. Results and future recommendations are discussed.