title: [Comparison of the prevalence of cleft lip and/or palate in children in Lodz province in the period of 1996-2010 in 5-years intervals].
abstract: Clefts of lip and/or palate are the most common facial malformations. Taking into consideration complexity of this defect and necessity of multidisciplinary treatment the knowledge of actual scale of this phenomenon seems to be relevant. The aim of this paper it to describe and to compare the prevalence of cleft lip and/or palate in Lodz province in the period of 1996-2010 in 5 years intervals. MATERIAL AND METHODS; From Polish Register of Congenital Malformations we managed to obtain the data of the number of live born infants and birth of children with clefts in Lodz province in 2001-2010. On the basis of previously performed studies Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Esthetic Surgery has the data of clefts' prevalence in Lodz province from year 1996 to 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean frequency of clefts was 1,67/1000 live born infants in 1996-2000, during years 2001-2005 - 1,47/1000, and 1,13/1000 in 2006-2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant decrease of the prevalence of cleft lip and/or palate is observed in Lodz province in the period of 1996-2010. In boys the most frequent defect is cleft lip and palate, while in girls--isolated cleft palate.
authors.affiliation: Uniwersytet Medyczny w Łodzi, Klinka Chirurgii Plastycznej, Rekonstrukcyjnej i Estetycznej II Katedry Chirurgii.
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Antoszewski
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fijałkowska
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution