Timeliness of primary cleft lip/palate surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the timeliness of primary cleft surgery, mean age at which surgery occurred, and factors associated with timely cleft surgery among children with orofacial clefts (OFCs).


METHODS
Retrospective study of children with OFC using North Carolina vital statistics, birth defects registry, and Medicaid files.


METHODS
Medicaid-enrolled North Carolina resident children with OFC born from 1995 to 2002.


METHODS
Proportion of children who underwent primary cleft surgery within 18 months of life, mean age when surgery occurred, and factors associated with timely surgery.


RESULTS
406 children with OFC were continuously enrolled in Medicaid during the first 2 years of life. Overall, 78.1% of children had surgery within 18 months. About 90% of children with cleft lip (CL), 58.0% of children with cleft palate (CP), and 89.6% of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) received timely cleft surgery; the mean age at which surgery occurred was 5 months. Children whose mothers received maternity care coordination, received prenatal care at a local health department, or lived in the southeastern or northeastern region of the state were more likely to receive timely cleft surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Most children with OFC in North Carolina born during this time period received primary cleft surgery within 18 months of life, but this varied by maternal demographics and other factors.
Department of Public Health Services, University of North Carolina Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA. ccassel2@uncc.edu
Cynthia H
CH
Cassell
Julie
J
Daniels
Robert E
RE
Meyer
D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States