Characterization of 554 Mexican Patients With Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate: Descriptive Study

Orofacial clefts are one of the most common birth defects and the most common craniofacial malformation worldwide. The most common orofacial clefts (OFCs) are congenital cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) and isolated cleft palate (CP). The incidence of OFCs varies depending on region and ethnicity; however, it affects approximately 1 in 600 newborns worldwide. In most cases, CL ± P and CP are multifactorial congenital malformations, where both exogenous and genetic factors play an important role. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of potential risk factors associated with the development of CL ± P and CP in Mexican population. Patients were referred for multisystemic treatment, from private and public institutions in different regions of the country (center, north, and south). Sociodemographic information, prenatal and parental history were obtained through direct interviews with the patients or the patients' mothers in the case of underaged patients. Referred patients were invited to participate in the study. No interventions were applied for this study. The relationship between these factors and the prevalence of CL ± P and CP was studied. A total of 554 patients were included, the majority with CLP (30% to 7%), statistically significant differences were found for folic acid ( P = 0.02) consumption. Familial aggregation did not reach statistical significance for first-degree family members ( P = 0.34) but was significant for second-degree family members ( P = 0.007). More risk factors associated with CL ± P and CP may still be unknown, prompting more epidemiological research and research in other little-studied areas, such as; specific genetic factors in Mexican population.