A Retrospective Cohort Study to Evaluate the Association Between Types of Nonsyndromic Oral Clefts and a Child's Gender and Maternal Age

Aims: To evaluate the association between nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL +/- P) anomaly and the affected child's gender and maternal age. Materials and Methods: Records of 141 newborns received at the orthodontic craniofacial clinic of the Jordanian Royal Rehabilitation Center between 2017 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Two variables were paid attention to: child's gender and maternal age. Five cleft types were considered: unilateral CLP (right; URCLP and left; ULCLP), bilateral CLP (BCLP), isolated cleft palate (CP) and isolated cleft lip (CL). Maternal age was classified into four subgroups: "26-30" years, "31-35" years, "36-40" years, and "above 40" years. Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the resultant data. Results: A significant occurrence of the NSCL +/- P in females was found compared with males. The different cleft types were found to be significantly associated with the different maternal age groups investigated. The ULCLP was the most prevalent cleft type for affected children among all maternal age groups except the "31-35" group, at which the BCLP exceeded. Conclusions: The children's gender and the maternal age have a significant impact on defining the developing oral cleft types.