Sociodemographic Predictors of Patient Age at Time of Cleft Lip and Palate Repair

To identify the impact of sociodemographic and health variables on the age at which patients undergo cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, and primary speech evaluation.

A retrospective, noninterventional quality assessment, and quality improvement study was designed.

This institutional study was performed at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, MI.

All patients born between 2011 and 2014 who received surgical cleft repair, excluded those who were adopted (n = 165).

The age at which patients undergo cleft lip repair, cleft palate repair, and primary speech evaluation.

Cleft lip repair was performed significantly later for patients identifying as Asian (18 weeks, P = .01), patients with Child Protective Services contact (19 weeks, P = .01), patients with a significant comorbidity (14 weeks, P = .02), and patients who underwent preliminary lip adhesion surgery (19 weeks, P < .01). Cleft palate repair was performed significantly later for patients identifying racially as Asian (19 weeks, P = .03) and other (22 weeks, P = .03). Preliminary speech and language evaluation were performed significantly later for patients identifying as black (55 weeks, P = .03) and patients diagnosed with an isolated cleft lip (71 weeks, P < .01).

Timing of cleft lip, cleft palate repair, and primary speech and language evaluation are subject to variation which may be predicted by clinically accessible factors. By identifying race, Child Protective Services contact, and care variables as significant predictors of increased patient age at time of intervention, multidisciplinary cleft care teams can proactively allocate patient support resources.