Cleft lip and palate: the Jos experience

To determine the pattern of occurrence of cleft lip/palate and the factors that may have influenced treatment outcome.

Descriptive Study.

Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.

This study included 107 consecutive patients with cleft lip/palate managed between January 1991 and June 1997.

The pattern of occurrence of cleft lip/palate, the peculiarities of the malformation in this environment as well as factors that influenced treatment outcome.

The 107 patients were aged between one day and twenty-six years at presentation. There were three adults aged between 18 and 26 years with a mean of 22.3 years and 104 children with a mean age of 9.5 months. The male/female ratio was 1. 1:1, the anomaly was 2.4 times commoner on the left and the cleft lip alone was the most frequent mode of presentation (52%). The incidence was higher in the 3rd and 4th siblings. In 13% of these patients, there were other associated congenital anomalies such as Van der Woude's Syndrome, Down's Syndrome and congenital heart disease. Complications were noted in 16(14.9%) patients and these included dehiscence after repair in 8(7.5%) patients, oronasal fistulae in 2(1.9%), nasal speech in 4(3.7%) and hypertrophic scar in 2(1.9%). Eighty nine percent of these repairs were satisfactory to the parents of the affected children. All the adult patients were satisfied with their repair.

The low incidence of this anomaly in our environment may be due to underreporting in the rural areas. Public enlightenment programs should help improve early presentation.