Global Birth Prevalence of Orofacial Clefts: A Systematic Review
Vipawee Panamonta MD*, Suteera Pradubwong MSN**, Manat Panamonta MD***, Bowornsilp Chowchuen MD****
Affiliation : * Samutsakhon Hospital, Samutsakhon, Thailand ** Division of Nursing, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand *** Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand **** Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background : A birth prevalence of orofacial clefts (OFCs) worldwide has been documented to vary. However, a systematic
assessment is lacking.
Objective : To assess the evidence in the literature for the birth prevalence of OFCs.
Material and Method: A systematic literature search was conducted using electronic databases through PubMed between
1950 and June 2015 using key words and search terms of cleft lip palate OR orofacial cleft AND prevalence.
Results : There were 45,193 patients with OFCs found in a study population of 30,665,615 live births. According to continents,
the OFC birth prevalence (95% confidence interval) from Asia, North America, Europe, Oceania, South America, and Africa
were 1.57 (1.54-1.60), 1.56 (1.53-1.59), 1.55 (1.52-1.58), 1.33 (1.30-1.36), 0.99 (0.96-1.02), and 0.57 (0.54-0.60) per 1,000
live births, respectively. The American Indians had the highest prevalence rates of 2.62 per 1,000 live births, followed by the
Japanese, the Chinese, and the Whites of 1.73, 1.56, and 1.55 per 1,000 live births, respectively. The Blacks had the lowest rate
of 0.58 per 1,000 live births.
Conclusion : Observed differences may also be of ethnic origin, genetic, environmental factors, and methods of ascertainment.
Further investigations are needed to manage this global health problem.
Keywords : Orofacial clefts, Cleft lip, Cleft palate, Cleft lip and palate, Birth prevalence
