Biomedical Journal

Biomedical Journal

Volume 39, Issue 2, April 2016, Pages 150-154
Biomedical Journal

Original Article
Time trend of incidence rates of cleft lip/palate in Taiwan from 1994 to 2013

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2015.10.003Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Background

This study was to estimate the incidence rate of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) in Taiwan from 1994 to 2013, and to assess the time trend over these years.

Methods

Retrospective data analysis was performed on records of all newborns with CL/P treated at Chang Gung Craniofacial Center, the only treatment center for CL/P in Taiwan, from 1994 to 2013. Three-year moving average rates were computed and linear regression was used to explore the annual average percentage change.

Results

From 1994 to 2013, 7282 newborns with CL/P were identified, corresponding to an annual rate of 1.48‰ (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.45‰–1.52‰). There was a significant decline of rate of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) (−2.9% ± 0.2%, p < 0.0001) but slightly increase of rate of cleft palate (CP) only (+0.2% ± 0.07%, p = 0.004).

Conclusion

From 1994 to 2013, the annual rate of incidence of CL/P was 1.48‰ in Taiwan. The 2.9% annual decline of the rate was mainly from the CL ± P group, not the CP group.

Keywords

Cleft lip
Cleft palate
Incidence
Prenatal diagnosis

Cited by (0)

Peer review under responsibility of Chang Gung University.