Congenital Heart Diseases in the Cleft Lip Palate Patients and its Perioperative Implications: An Observational Study In Rural Central Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Introduction: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a common birth defect that occurs in approximately 1% of live births worldwide. Cleft lip and palate (CLP), another common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 600- 800 live births in India. Several studies have reported an association between CHD and CLP, however, there is limited data on the prevalence and types of CHD in patients with CLP in rural areas of developing countries, including India. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and types of CHD in patients with CLP at a rural hospital in central Maharashtra, India. Methods: This retrospective study included medical records of patients with isolated Cleft lip, isolated cleft palate and patients with cleft lip and palate, between January 2018 and December 2020. The study was conducted at a rural hospital in central Maharashtra, India. The patients’ records were examined for any heart disease. Patients who had a diagnosis of CHD were identified through medical records and echocardiography reports. The prevalence and types of CHD were compared between the two groups using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results: A total of 291 patients were included in our study. 169 were males and 122 were females. Congenital heart diseases were found in 12.37% (n=36) patients.5 Cleft lip (13%), 12 Cleft lip and palate (48%), 19 Isolated cleft palate (39%) were diagnosed with Congenital heart diseases. The types of Congenital Heart Diseases reported in our study were atrial septal defect, Ventricular septal defect, Patent ductus arteriosus, Pulmonic Stenosis and Tetralogy of Fallot. Conclusion: The most common types of CHD in both groups were ASD and VSD, but the prevalence of these defects was significantly higher in the CLP group. These findings have important implications for the multidisciplinary Perioperative management of patients with CLP, as they may require close monitoring for CHD and appropriate intervention if necessary, especially in resource-limited settings.