Assessment of stature in children with orofacial clefting.
OBJECTIVE
To assess stature in children with orofacial clefting to determine whether this population is at risk for short stature and if growth failure is caused by hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction or if it is related to age, sex, or type of cleft.


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
All children 3 to 12 years old with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts who were evaluated as outpatients were measured; those who demonstrated growth failure were to have an evaluation of their hypothalamic-pituitary function. Data were also collected on sex, age, and type of cleft.


RESULTS
Children with orofacial clefting had significantly more growth failure than the general population (p < 0.005). The parents of four of the five children with growth failure refused further evaluation because "no one else was ever concerned about my child's height."


CONCLUSIONS
The high rate of growth failure in this population emphasizes the need for precise growth assessment of children with orofacial clefting. Growth failure should not be ignored or minimized in populations of children having other significant health care problems.
Lipman
T H
TH
Nursing of Children Division, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing 19104, USA. Lipmanpobox.upenn.edu
Rezvani
I
I
Mitra
A
A
Mastropieri
C J
CJ
D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D012307:Risk Factors