Do Oral Clefts Affect Long-Term Health?

Cleft palate, but not cleft lip, was linked with increased mortality and morbidity in a population-based study.

Oral clefts — including cleft lip only (CLO), cleft lip and palate (CLP), and cleft palate only (CPO) — are common birth defects typically repaired early in life. Long-term health effects related to specific oral clefts have not been quantified.

In a population-based cohort study, researchers in Norway used national databases and registries to compare health outcomes between 2337 individuals with isolated oral clefts and 1,413,819 unaffected individuals born between 1967 and 1992 (age range at follow-up, 18–43 years). Groups with each oral cleft type (CLO, CLP, and CPO) were compared separately with the unaffected population.

Health risks were highest for those with CPO, who had increased risks for death (hazard ratio, 3.4), intellectual disa…

Reviewing Author

John D. Cowden, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

John D. Cowden, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Do Oral Clefts Affect Long-Term Health?

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Reviewing Author