25721952

PMC4378242

Background

Little is known about population-based maternal, child, and system characteristics associated with high hospital resource use for children with orofacial clefts (OFC) in the US.

Methods

This was a statewide, population-based, retrospective observational study of children with OFC born between 1998 and 2006, identified by the Florida Birth Defects Registry whose records were linked with longitudinal hospital discharge records. We stratified the descriptive results by cleft type [cleft lip with cleft palate (CLP), cleft lip (CL) and cleft palate (CP)] and by isolated vs. non-isolated OFC (accompanied by other coded major birth defects). We used Poisson regression to analyze associations between selected characteristics and high hospital resource use (≥90th percentile of estimated hospitalized days and inpatient costs) for birth, post-birth, and total hospitalizations initiated before age two years.

Results

Our analysis included 2,129 children with OFC. Infants who were born low birth weight (<2500 grams) were significantly more likely to have high birth hospitalization costs for CLP [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0–2.7)], CL [aPR: 3.0 (95% CI: 1.1–8.1)], and CP [aPR: 2.3 (95% CI: 1.3–4.0)]. Presence of multiple birth defects was significantly associated with a three- to eleven-fold and a three- to nine-fold increase in the prevalence of high costs and number of hospitalized days, respectively; at birth, post-birth before age two years and overall hospitalizations.

Conclusion

Children with CP had the greatest hospital resources use. Additionally, the presence of multiple birth defects contributed to greater inpatient days and costs for children with OFC.

CDC Public Access

CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States