Cleft Palate and/or Lip Birth Defects, 1990-1999
West Virginia Residents
Brief No. 9
During
the 10 years from 1990 through 1999, 350 children in West Virginia were
diagnosed as having cleft palates and/or cleft lips. Using the 214,497
births that occurred to West Virginia residents during this time period
as a denominator, a rate of 163.2 per 100,000 live births was calculated
for these defects. Demographics Among the factors that affect the prevalence
of cleft palate and cleft lip defects is maternal age. Older mothers are
less likely to give birth to children with these defects than their younger
counterparts. Women ages 35 and over produced children with cleft palates
and/or cleft lips at a rate of 111.9 per 100,000 live births. In contrast,
women ages 20-24 gave birth to children with these defects at a rate of
181.9 per 100,000 live births.
Ethnicity
of mother is another indicator of the odds of a child being born with
a cleft palate or cleft lip. Children of white mothers were observed to
have these anomalies at the rate of 166.6 per 100,000 live births. However,
children of nonwhite mothers were observed to have cleft palates and/or
cleft lips at a rate of only 86.6 per 100,000 live births.
Low birthweight
is another factor that influences the likelihood of a child being born
with a cleft palate and/or lip. Children of very low birthweights, i.e.,weighing
less than 1,500 grams (3.5 pounds) at the time of birth, were born with
these defects at a rate of 397.7 per 100,000 live births. Similarly, children
of moderately low birthweights, i.e., weighing between 1,500 and 2,499
grams (3.5 - 5.5 pounds) at birth, had a rate of 406.2 per 100,000 live
births. In contrast, children with a birthweight of 2,500 or more grams
had a much lower rate of these defects, 139.8 per 100,000 live births.
Gestational age is another
factor in the odds of child being born with a cleft palate or cleft lip.
Children who were born prematurely, whose gestational age was less than
37 weeks, were observed to have cleft palates and/or cleft lips at a rate
of 257.0 per 100,000 live births. Those children whose gestational age
was 37 weeks or more had one or both of these anomalies at a rate of 149.8
per 100,000 live births.
Plurality, or multiple
births, also affects the rate of these defects. Children who shared the
womb with one or more siblings were observed to have a rate of cleft defects
of 220.0 per 100,000 live births. In contrast, singleton children had
a lower rate, 160.4 per 100,000 live births.
Smoking status of the mother is a behavioral factor that influences the
odds of child being born with a cleft lip and/or palate. Mothers who smoked
during pregnancy gave birth to children with cleft defects at a rate of
196.7 per 100,000 live births. Children of nonsmoking mothers were observed
to have cleft palates and/or cleft lips at a rate of 151.5 per 100,000
live births.
Another behavioral factor that influences the rate of cleft palate and/or
cleft lip defects is alcohol consumption of the mother. Women who consumed
alcohol during pregnancy gave birth to children with these defects at
a rate of 288.9 per 100,000 live births. In contrast, the rate of cleft
defects of children of mothers who did not consume alcohol during pregnancy
was nearly half, i.e., 161.3 per 100,000 live births.
The association between the onset of prenatal care and the rate of cleft
defects is shown by Figure Eight. Those women who received no prenatal
care produced children with cleft defects at a rate of 178.5 per 100,000
live births. In contrast, those who began prenatal care in the first trimester
of pregnancy gave birth to children with cleft defects at a rate of 157.2
and those who started prenatal care during the second trimester produced
children with cleft defects at a rate of 166.8. Surprisingly, those who
waited until the third trimester had a cleft defect rate of only 156.4
per 100,000 live births.
As with timeliness, the
quantity of prenatal care may influence the rate of cleft defects. Those
women who visited their obstetricians fewer than 10 times before giving
birth produced children with cleft defects at a rate of 183.0 per 100,000
live births. Those who had 10 to 19 prenatal visits gave birth to children
with cleft defects at a rate of 144.4 per 100,000 live births. However,
those who had 20 or more prenatal visits, which would include women known
to have pregnancy complications, produced children with cleft defects
at a much higher rate, 299.1 per 100,000 live births.
The prevalence of cleft
palate and/or lip defects declines as the education levels of mothers
increase. Mothers with less than 12 years of education gave birth to children
with cleft defects at a rate of 205.6 per 100,000 live births. Those with
12 years of education produced children with cleft defects at a rate of
155.6. Mothers who had 13 or more years of education gave birth to children
with cleft defects at an even smaller rate, 131.5 per 100,000 live births
This brief is intended only to provide statistical data on the numbers
and rates of reported cleft palate and/or lip birth defect incidences
from 1990-99 and does not include information on services available for
children who have been affected. For information on services available,
contact the Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health at 1-800-642-8522.
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