The incidence of cleft lip and palate in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common oro-facial anomalies. For various reasons, cleft lip and cleft palate patients have never been given priority by health planners in most African countries including Ethiopia. Lack of data about the incidence of this anomaly might have contributed to the poor understanding and care of these patients in our country.

The main objective of this study is to determine the incidence of cleft lip and palate in Addis Ababa.

This is a prospective survey carried out between September 1, 2004 and February 28, 2007. Seven health institutions in Addis Ababa giving delivery service were utilized for this study purpose. All live births were evaluated by trained staff for presence of cleft lip and palate anomalies.

The number of live births was 42,986. Sixty-four new cleft lip and palate patients were recorded in the study institutions which gives an incidence of 1.49/1000 live births or 1 in 672 live births. The female:male ratio was 1:0.6. in the cleft lip group, 1:1.8 in the cleft lip and palate group, and 1:0.5 in the cleft palate group. A family history of clefts was recorded in three babies (4.8% of cleft patients), one in cleft lip alone (1.6%) and two in cleft lip and palate (3.1%). In ten of the clefts there were associated anomalies: extremity malformation in five (Syndactyly in two, popliteal webbing polvdactyly and a congenital constricting band), central nervous malformations in three, genital malformation in one and heart anomaly in one tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) echocardiography proved.

The incidence found in this study indicates that cleft is not rare in our country 64 (1.49/1000). As many African babies are born outside hospital the results of a more extensive audit would be valuable.