Abstract
The non-syndromic cleft palate (NSCP) is a common congenital defect in humans. This work has aimed to perform a descriptive epidemiological study of patients with NSCP in the State of Bahia, Brazil. A questionnaire was applied to patients and/or parents at three reference centres for treatment of craniofacial anomalies. Of the 135 patients with NSCP, 60% were female and 40% male. Blacks and mulattos were predominant. The most common systemic disorder was otologic findings. The average age of the surgery was 5 years and 2 months with a percentage of 74.8% operated. With regard to the mothers, 16.3 % consumed alcoholic beverages and 12.6 % smoked. The most cited vitamin supplementation was folic acid. Contact with chemicals involved 20.7 % of the fathers and 14.9 % of the mothers. The most frequent mother’s age gestational ranged between 15 and 25 years old. The results showed that the frequency of children with NSCP in the State of Bahia is related to the location of the reference centres. Younger mothers gave birth to cleft palate children even despite using vitamin supplementation. Although no surgical procedure has been performed at an ideal age, the majority of the children with cleft palate were submitted to surgical repair.
Highlights
Orofacial clefts are the most common congenital anomalies of the face, with worldwide data showing that these conditions affect 1 in 700 live births[1]
There are many classifications for orofacial clefts, but the one most used in Brazil is based on the incisive foramen and is divided into four groups as follows: incisive pre-foramen clefts or cleft lips (CL), incisive post-foramen clefts or cleft palates (CP), incisive trans-foramen clefts or cleft lip/palates (CLP), and rare facial clefts, which involve facial structures other than lip and/or palate
The analyses in the present study were performed according to the research ethics norms for human beings, as established by the local research ethics committee through protocol number 378.066 (CAAE 48777315.0.0000.0047). This is a descriptive cross-sectional study in which individuals with orofacial clefts or/and their parents were interviewed at three reference centres for treatment of craniofacial anomalies in the State of Bahia, namely, Santo Antônio Hospital, Martagão Gesteira Hospital, both located in the Salvador city, and Esaú Matos Hospital, located in the Vitória da Conquista city
Summary
Orofacial clefts are the most common congenital anomalies of the face, with worldwide data showing that these conditions affect 1 in 700 live births[1]. In Brazil, the mean prevalence of orofacial clefts is 0.36 per 1,000 live births[2]. Despite being a common congenital defect, the etiopathogeny of this anomaly remains uncertain. This is due to the association of both genetic and environmental factors, which reflects the complexity and diversity of the molecular events involved during embryogenesis[1]. The aetiology of CLP and CP is considered distinct. Today, these two types of fissures are genetically and embryologically different entities[1]
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