Timeliness of primary cleft lip/palate surgery

Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2009 Nov;46(6):588-97. doi: 10.1597/08-154.1. Epub 2009 May 18.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the timeliness of primary cleft surgery, mean age at which surgery occurred, and factors associated with timely cleft surgery among children with orofacial clefts (OFCs).

Design: Retrospective study of children with OFC using North Carolina vital statistics, birth defects registry, and Medicaid files.

Participants/patients: Medicaid-enrolled North Carolina resident children with OFC born from 1995 to 2002.

Main outcome measures: Proportion of children who underwent primary cleft surgery within 18 months of life, mean age when surgery occurred, and factors associated with timely surgery.

Results: 406 children with OFC were continuously enrolled in Medicaid during the first 2 years of life. Overall, 78.1% of children had surgery within 18 months. About 90% of children with cleft lip (CL), 58.0% of children with cleft palate (CP), and 89.6% of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) received timely cleft surgery; the mean age at which surgery occurred was 5 months. Children whose mothers received maternity care coordination, received prenatal care at a local health department, or lived in the southeastern or northeastern region of the state were more likely to receive timely cleft surgery.

Conclusion: Most children with OFC in North Carolina born during this time period received primary cleft surgery within 18 months of life, but this varied by maternal demographics and other factors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Cleft Lip / epidemiology
  • Cleft Lip / surgery*
  • Cleft Palate / epidemiology
  • Cleft Palate / surgery*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Medicaid
  • North Carolina / epidemiology
  • Registries
  • Retrospective Studies
  • United States