Characterization of Orofacial Clefts in Dominican Patients

Objectives: Congenital malformations are the main cause of infant chronic disability and mortality. Cleft lip and/ or palate are considered the most frequent craniofacial anomaly. There are not recorded official statistics on the prevalence if Orofacial Clefts in Dominican Republic at a national level. The aim of this investigation is to describe the clinical characteristics of patients from 0 to 4 years old with cleft lip and/or palate who attended "Ninos que Rien" Foundation in Moca, Dominican Republic from 2013 and 2016.
Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive and retrospective study. In a population within the set age range (n=102) we obtained a sample of 65 patients based on the inclusion criteria. Variables analyzed included gender, age, cleft classification, presence of pathological history and associated anomalies. We classified clefts based on ICD-10 codes. Univariate analysis was conducted with the Pearson chi-square test of association comparing variables of interest. All data analysis was performed using the SPSS Statistics version 20.0.
Results: There were 40 male and 25 female patients. Prevalence peaked at ≤ 6 months old. Combined cleft lip and palate (CLP) had the highest rate (50.8%), with the right side most frequently affected. Cardiomyopathies and hearing pathologies were the most common associated anomalies.
Conclusions: We identified a need for keeping systematic and adequate records of cleft lip and/ or palate in Dominican Republic. This would aid in the development of health program aimed at providing multidisciplinary care to the affected patients.