A study of cleft lip and palate in neonates born in a large Malaysian maternity hospital over a 2-year period

Out of 52,379 babies delivered in the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, over a 2-year period, 64 were born with cleft lip and/or palates. The rate of occurrence of cleft was 1.24 per 1000 livebirths or 1.20 per 1000 deliveries. The Chinese babies had the highest incidence (1.9 per 1000 deliveries) while the Malays had the lowest (0.98 per 1000 deliveries). The most common type was unilateral cleft of the primary and secondary palates. Among the Indian babies, cleft of the secondary palate was most common. 18.8 percent of all the affected babies had positive family history of cleft. 10.9% of the mothers of affected babies had positive history of drug ingestion especially Chinese herbs during pregnancy. Associated congenital abnormalities occurred in 15.6% of the babies with cleft lip and/or palate.