Intelligence among ear deformities and cleft lip and/or alveolus and/or cleft palate patients during 50 years in Israel.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We evaluated hearing loss and general intelligence among persons with auricle anomalies and cleft lip and/or alveolus and/or cleft palate (CLAP). METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional study of data recorded during 1966-2019, as mandatory pre-military recruitment of individuals. RESULTS: Of 3 182 892 adolescents, 548 were diagnosed with auricle anomalies and 2072 with CLAP. For the latter, the adjusted odds ratios for the low, low to medium and medium general intelligence categories compared to the highest category were 1.4 [95% CI 1.5-1.2], 1.2 [95% CI 1.4-1.1] and 1.1 [95% CI 1.2-0.9] respectively. The corresponding values for the auricle anomalies were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: General intelligence was impaired among individuals with CLAP, but no significant correlation was found among individuals suffering from auricle anomalies.