Birth prevalence and characteristics of cleft lip and/or palate in dubai health public hospitals, 2018-2025: a retrospective hospital-based study.
- 1Hamdan Bin Mohammed College of Dental Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- 2Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital, Dubai Health, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Abstract
Background
Population-based data on cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) in the United Arab Emirates are limited, and no longitudinal estimate is available for Dubai.Objective
To estimate hospital-based birth prevalence among births recorded in Dubai Health public hospitals during 2018-2025 and describe cleft groups and case characteristics.Methods
This retrospective study included live births and stillbirths recorded at Dubai Hospital, Latifa Hospital, and Hatta Hospital. The Dubai Health Data & Insights Team identified potential cases through an electronic health record query for International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision categories Q35-Q37. Investigators reviewed records and mapped documented diagnoses to four mutually exclusive analytical groups. Birth prevalence and exact Poisson 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated per 1,000 total births. Case characteristics were summarized descriptively; temporal change was assessed by Poisson regression with annual births as offset.Results
Among 46,418 births, 97 CL/P cases were identified, giving a hospital-based birth prevalence of 2.09 per 1,000 total births (95% CI 1.69-2.55). Cleft palate without lip involvement was the most frequent group (48/97, 49.5%; 1.03 per 1,000), followed by cleft lip without palate involvement (22/97, 22.7%; 0.47 per 1,000), unilateral cleft lip and palate or CLP not otherwise specified (19/97, 19.6%; 0.41 per 1,000), and bilateral cleft lip and palate (8/97, 8.2%; 0.17 per 1,000). Annual prevalence ranged from 1.09 to 2.90 per 1,000; no statistically significant linear trend was detected (rate ratio per year 1.07, 95% CI 0.98-1.17; p = 0.122). Twenty-nine cases (29.9%) had a documented associated diagnosis or finding. Restriction to the 68 cases without a documented associated diagnosis or finding yielded 1.46 per 1,000 (95% CI 1.14-1.86). Cleft-group comparisons were exploratory and limited by small strata.Conclusion
This study provides an eight-year baseline for Dubai Health public hospitals, not an emirate-wide estimate. Integrated public- and private-sector surveillance is needed to estimate population-level birth prevalence and plan multidisciplinary care.
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BibTeX
@article{bahmanshiri2026birth,
title = {{Birth prevalence and characteristics of cleft lip and/or palate in dubai health public hospitals, 2018-2025: a retrospective hospital-based study.}},
author = {Ali Bahmanshiri and Manal Al Halabi and Iyad Hussein and Eman Alnuaimi and Derek Mendonca and Anas Salami},
journal = {Frontiers in dental medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fdmed.2026.1982859},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952499},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Birth prevalence and characteristics of cleft lip and/or palate in dubai health public hospitals, 2018-2025: a retrospective hospital-based study.
AU - Ali Bahmanshiri
AU - Manal Al Halabi
AU - Iyad Hussein
AU - Eman Alnuaimi
AU - Derek Mendonca
AU - Anas Salami
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in dental medicine
DO - 10.3389/fdmed.2026.1982859
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952499
AB - Background Population-based data on cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) in the United Arab Emirates are limited, and no longitudinal estimate is available for Dubai.Objective To estimate hospital-based birth prevalence among births recorded in Dubai Health public hospitals during 2018-2025 and describe cleft groups and case characteristics.Methods This retrospective study included live births and stillbirths recorded at Dubai Hospital, Latifa Hospital, and Hatta Hospital. The Dubai Health Data & Insights Team identified potential cases through an electronic health record query for International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision categories Q35-Q37. Investigators reviewed records and mapped documented diagnoses to four mutually exclusive analytical groups. Birth prevalence and exact Poisson 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated per 1,000 total births. Case characteristics were summarized descriptively; temporal change was assessed by Poisson regression with annual births as offset.Results Among 46,418 births, 97 CL/P cases were identified, giving a hospital-based birth prevalence of 2.09 per 1,000 total births (95% CI 1.69-2.55). Cleft palate without lip involvement was the most frequent group (48/97, 49.5%; 1.03 per 1,000), followed by cleft lip without palate involvement (22/97, 22.7%; 0.47 per 1,000), unilateral cleft lip and palate or CLP not otherwise specified (19/97, 19.6%; 0.41 per 1,000), and bilateral cleft lip and palate (8/97, 8.2%; 0.17 per 1,000). Annual prevalence ranged from 1.09 to 2.90 per 1,000; no statistically significant linear trend was detected (rate ratio per year 1.07, 95% CI 0.98-1.17; p = 0.122). Twenty-nine cases (29.9%) had a documented associated diagnosis or finding. Restriction to the 68 cases without a documented associated diagnosis or finding yielded 1.46 per 1,000 (95% CI 1.14-1.86). Cleft-group comparisons were exploratory and limited by small strata.Conclusion This study provides an eight-year baseline for Dubai Health public hospitals, not an emirate-wide estimate. Integrated public- and private-sector surveillance is needed to estimate population-level birth prevalence and plan multidisciplinary care.
SN - 2673-4915
ER -