Facial cleft and associated anomalies: incidence among infants at a Jordanian medical centre

To estimate incidence of cleft lip and cleft palate among Jordanian infants and to identify associated anomalies, we carried out a prospective, hospital-based study over a 5-year period, January 2000-January 2005. The total number of liveborn infants was 25 440, 60 of whom [2.4/1000] had facial clefts: 20 [33%] with cleft lip, 15 [25%] with cleft palate and 25 [42%] with both. Congenital heart disease was the commonest associated anomaly [47%] identified, followed by skeletal abnormalities [13%]. Renal anomalies were found in 10% of cases. The high prevalence of congenital heart disease may justify routine echocardiography screening. The high consanguineous marriage rate may be a contributing factor to the high incidence of cleft anomalies