Ethnic variations in the estimated prevalence of orofacial clefts in Taiwan, 2004 to 2006.

BACKGROUND

Foreign-born mothers have been reported to have better pregnancy outcomes as measured by the preterm birth rate, neonatal mortality, and birth weight compared with native-born mothers in Belgium, France, Taiwan, and the United States. However, little is known about the association between maternal nationality and the prevalence of orofacial clefts in Asian countries.

METHODS

Taiwan Birth Registry data from 2004 to 2006 were analyzed for an association between maternal nationality and orofacial clefts. Singleton live births with a gestational age ≥24 weeks were included in this study.

RESULTS

The overall estimated prevalence percentages of orofacial clefts were 0.11 (95% confidence interval [CI]  =  0.03 to 0.12) among newborns of Taiwan-born mothers (TBMs) and 0.13 (95% CI  =  0.04 to 0.16) among newborns of foreign-born mothers (FBMs), respectively. The estimated prevalence of orofacial clefts of all live births of FBMs in Taiwan was similar to that of the FBMs from Southeast Asian countries.

CONCLUSION

There was a slightly higher but no significant difference of estimated prevalence of orofacial clefts between newborns of TBMs and newborns of FBMs in Taiwan.