The epidemiological approach of clefts lip and palate in the eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo

Objective. - This study aims to present the epidemiological profile of clefts lip/palate observed in the eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from January 2002 to May 2004, period of civil wars. Method. - It is a retrospective study realized at Doctors on Call for service Learning Center (DOCS LC) in Goma/DRC concerning 89 cases of cleft lip/palate operated during the same period. The data processing was facilitated by the software package SPSS 17.0 installed in the IT center of DOCS. Results. - The average age of the consultation is 9.9 years with extreme of zero and 42 years. Both sexes are concerned: 50.6% of male and 49.4% of female. The more cleft extends from the superior lip to the palate through the alveolus, the more the frequency of the various types of clefts lips/palate decreases: 59.6% (simple clefts lip), 37.1% (labio-alveolar clefts), and 2.2% (cleft palate). The left incomplete cleft lip variety represents 33.7% of all varieties. Most of clefts lips/palate come from the first to the fifth pregnancy with a peak of frequency (19.1%) in the second pregnancy. No family history about congenital deformation was found from 97% of our patients. Conclusion. - The epidemiology of cleft lip/palate in our area would be more connected to environmental factors than genetics: no family history of congenital deformation was seen for most of our patients during this period of civil war. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.