Growth trajectory of children and adolescents with isolated cleft lip and/or palate through the first two decades of life

A wide body of evidence shows that patients with clefts exhibit decreased growth in their early years. Less evidence regarding their growth trajectory, specifically their body mass indices (BMIs), in later years is available. This study analyzes BMIs of patients with isolated clefts and/or palate over time using age-adjusted BMI z-scores based on the CDC 2000 references for height and weight for age. At least two height and weight measurements were obtained during 2–10 years and at least two height and weight measurements were obtained during 10–20 years. Mean BMI z-score for all patients was 0.117. Males had a mean z-score of 0.087 and females a mean of 0.160 (p = 0.407). Patients under 10 years of age had a mean z-score of 0.208, while patients older than 10 years had a mean z-score of −0.028 (p = 0.223). While significance was not achieved in the statistical analysis, the results suggest that overall, the cleft population maintains a mean BMI that is similar to that of the general population during childhood and adolescence. A larger analysis is warranted to investigate this phenomenon further and to investigate specifically the rate of obesity within this group.