title: Time trend of incidence rates of cleft lip/palate in Taiwan from 1994 to 2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was to estimate the incidence rate of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) in Taiwan from 1994 to 2013, and to assess the time trend over these years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective data analysis was performed on records of all newborns with CL/P treated at Chang Gung Craniofacial Center, the only treatment center for CL/P in Taiwan, from 1994 to 2013. Three-year moving average rates were computed and linear regression was used to explore the annual average percentage change.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1994 to 2013, 7282 newborns with CL/P were identified, corresponding to an annual rate of 1.48‰ (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.45‰-1.52‰). There was a significant decline of rate of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) (-2.9% ± 0.2%, p < 0.0001) but slightly increase of rate of cleft palate (CP) only (+0.2% ± 0.07%, p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From 1994 to 2013, the annual rate of incidence of CL/P was 1.48‰ in Taiwan. The 2.9% annual decline of the rate was mainly from the CL ± P group, not the CP group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Wei-Jung
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC; Biostatistics Core Laboratory, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Lai-Chu
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: See
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Chang Gung Craniofacial Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: lunjoulo@cgmh.org.tw.
authors.forename: Lun-Jou
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Cleft lip; Cleft palate; Incidence; Prenatal diagnosis