The Birth Prevalence of Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate After the 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Imai, Yoshimichi; Sanada, Takehiko; Tachi, Masahiro
• Is Part Of: Cleft palate-craniofacial journal. Volume 56:Number 9(2019)
• Page Start: 1133
• Page End: 1138
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: cleft lip and/or cleft palate -- 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami -- natural disaster -- birth prevalence; Cleft palate -- Periodicals; Skull -- Abnormalities -- Periodicals; Cranial manipulation -- Periodicals; Skull -- Abnormalities -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Face -- Abnormalities -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Fente palatine -- Périodiques; Crâne -- Malformations -- Périodiques; Manipulation crânienne -- Périodiques; Crâne -- Malformations -- Chirurgie -- Périodiques; Face -- Malformations -- Chirurgie -- Périodiques; Cleft palate; Cranial manipulation; Face -- Abnormalities -- Surgery; Skull -- Abnormalities; Skull -- Abnormalities -- Surgery; Cleft Lip; Cleft Palate; Facial Bones -- abnormalities; Skull -- abnormalities; Periodicals; Periodicals; Periodicals; 617.522
• DOI: 10.1177/1055665619843409
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1055-6656

Abstract

Objective: This study examined whether the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami affected the birth prevalence of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) in Miyagi Prefecture, where the earthquake and tsunami caused severe damage. Design: This was a retrospective cohort study. Setting: The study was conducted at university and children's hospitals in Miyagi Prefecture. Participants: The annual and monthly numbers of infants born with CL/P were obtained from medical records. The affected period of birth was defined as 1 year from December 1, 2011, to November 30, 2012. The control period was 5 years from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2010. The annual and monthly numbers of births in Miyagi Prefecture were obtained using e-Stat, which is a portal for Japanese government statistics. Main Outcome Measures: Main outcome measures were birth prevalence of CL/P during the control and affected periods. Results: There were no significant differences between the control and affected periods in the prevalence (per 10 000 live births) of cleft lip with or without palate (13.8 vs 16.7; P = .342), isolated cleft palate (5.2 vs 3.2; P = .267), or overall CL/P (19.0 vs 19.9; P = .799). Conclusions: We did not observe that the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami affected the birth prevalence of CL/P in Miyagi Prefecture, even though it severely impacted human health in the area.