Longitudinal study of growth of children with unilateral cleft-lip palate from birth to two years of age

OBJECTIVE: To study the growth of children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) from birth to 2 years of age and to construct specific UCLP growth curves. DESIGN: Physical growth was a secondary outcome measure of a NIH sponsored longitudinal, prospective clinical trial involving the University of Florida (USA) and the University of São Paulo (Brazil). PATIENTS: 627 children with UCLP, nonsyndromic, both genders. METHODS: Length, weight, and head circumference were prospectively measured for a group of children enrolled in a clinical trial. Median growth curves for the 3 parameters (length, weight, head circumference) were performed and compared to the median for the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS, 2000) curves. The median values for length, weight, and head circumference at birth, 6, 12, 18 and 24 month of age were plotted against NCHS median values, and statistically compared at birth and 24 months. SETTING: Hospital de Reabilitação de Anomalias Craniofaciais, Universidade de São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil (HRAC-USP). RESULTS: At birth, children of both genders with UCLP presented with smaller body dimensions in relation to NCHS median values, but the results suggest a “catch up growth” for length, weight, and head circumference for girls and for weight (to some degree) and head circumference for boys. CONCLUSIONS: Weight was the most compromised parameter for both genders followed by length and then head circumference. There was no evidence of short statue. This study established growth curves for children with UCLP.