Australian Hospital Admissions For Cleft Lip/Palate Over The Life-course

Objective: Orofacial clefts are among the most commonly observed congenital malformations. Typical management for this condition requires multiple hospital admissions over an affected individual’s lifespan. To date, there has been minimal research that describes the impact these admissions have on a developed health care system, particularly post childhood. The purpose of this study was to analyze the rate of admission to hospitals across Australia for those with a diagnosis  of orofacial cleft with the aim of better defining their age groups, gender and average duration of stay. Methods:  Separation data of 11,618 admissions from public and private hospitals were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Hospital Morbidity Database for the inclusive financial years from 2000 to 2010. The dependent variable examined was hospital admission rates with the primary diagnosis of isolated cleft palate (CP), isolated cleft lip (CL) and concurrent cleft lip and palate (CLP) classified according to ICD-10-AM codes Q35-Q37 using estimated resident population figures for each year. Results:  Throughout the 11-year period - 4,913 admissions for CLP (4.18 per 100,000 people per year), 4,454 admissions for CP (3.79 per 100,000 people per year) and 2,251 admissions for CL (1.91 per 100,000 people per year) were recorded throughout Australia. In total, males were more likely to be admitted to hospitals than females and the minimum average duration of stay in hospitals was one day. The majority of admissions occurred prior to adolescence in CP and CL while CLP continued showing admissions until late teens. Admissions continued across the lifespan for all groups, showing a steady decline in rate after ages 20≤24. Conclusion:   This study will help provide total population level data on admissions for oro-facial clefts in Australia, and may also be useful reference for oro-facial cleft data in Australia and internationally.