Cleft lip and/or cleft palate in a Sub-Saharan Africa region. Incidence, environmental and genetic risk factors, anthropometric and aesthetic outcome

      Аннотация: Cleft lip and/or cleft palate is a frequent congenital malformation which causes a major burden to the patient, his family and to society. The extensive scientific literature on diverse aspects of CL/P stands in sharp contrast with the limited knowledge on this subject in Sub-Saharan countries, including the DR Congo. Therefore, we initiated a scientific study in Lubumbashi, on the epidemiology, the environmental and genetic factors involved and the outome after surgery for CL/P. We reported an incidence of 0.84/1000 live births. A multifactorial cause is most common, with an interaction of multiple genetic and environmental factors such as maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy, maternal educational level lower than high school, clay (Pemba) consumption, the use of insecticides in the evening, indoor cooking with charcoal (Makala), and regular consumption of Kapolowe fish, supposedly contaminated with heavy metals. Clinical genetic evaluation and genetic testing have an increasing role in the evaluation of patients with clefting. Adequate surgical repair of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) is key to improving the anatomical and functional aspects of these structures.

Ключевые слова: cleft lip/palate, Incidence, risk factors, Lubumbashi (DR Congo), unilateral cleft lip repair, anatomical subunit approximation technique, anthropometric outcome, aesthetic outcome.