Long term outcomes for children born with orofacial clefts in Western Australia

Abstract

Using data from the population-based Western Australian Register of Developmental Anomalies (WARDA) linked to other administrative data sources, we conducted a cohort study of children born in WA from 1980-2010. We also described the epidemiology of OFC and reviewed the studies examining the association between maternal prenatal alcohol consumption and the occurrence of OFC in infants. The prevalence of OFC in WA was high; around 1 in 450 infants are diagnosed with OFC. Compared to infants without OFC, infants with isolated OFC had similar infant survival. However, survival was lower for infants with all cleft types and an additional anomaly. Individuals born with OFC were more likely to be admitted to hospital and had more admissions than those without OFC. This difference continued up until adulthood, although the gap narrowed. In relation to school performance, most children met the national minimum standards for literacy and numeracy tests. However children born with cleft palate only were significantly less likely to meet national minimum standards in some tests. We found no association between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and OFCs in infants, but differences in study design limited conclusive findings.