Prevalence of Stunting in Syrian Refugee Children With Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate in Time of Crisis: A Call for Intervention. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chaya, Bachar F.; Chalhoub, Rawad; Jaafar, Rola; Nahhas, Nour; Abu-Sittah, Ghassan
• Is Part Of: Cleft palate-craniofacial journal. Volume 57:Number 10(2020)
• Page Start: 1166
• Page End: 1170
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: nutrition -- feeding -- nonsyndromic clefting -- mental development -- congenital malformation -- refugees -- crisis; 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: 10.1177/1055665620930450
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1055-6656

Abstract

Objective: Our study aims to compare the prevalence of stunted growth in Syrian refugee children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL±CP) to other children with CL±CP of similar socioeconomic status. Design: A retrospective medical chart review. Setting: Center for Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery at a tertiary care hospital in Lebanon in the period between January 2013 and May 2019. Patients, Participants: One hundred three Syrian refugee children and 70 Lebanese children <18 years of low socioeconomic status who have CL, CP, or both. Interventions: These patients underwent cleft repair surgeries at our center. Main Outcome Measure(s): Stunted growth measured by calculating the height-for-age z-score (HAZ). Results: Using a confidence interval of 95%, the prevalence of stunting is significantly higher among Syrian refugees ( P < .003). The prevalence of stunting and age of presentation were positively correlated ( P < .02). There was no difference in stunting between patients with CP and CL ( P < .746). There was no difference in stunting between genders. Conclusions: The majority of Syrian refugee patients with CL±CP fall on the malnourished side of the nutritional spectrum as reflected by the high percentage of stunting as well as a mean of −1 for the HAZ.