Prevalence and Clinical Patterns of Orofacial Clefts at St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital, Ifakara, Tanzania (January 2020 – September 2025)

Abstract

Background: Orofacial clefts are among the commonest congenital craniofacial anomalies. Reliable facility based data from semi-urban Tanzania are limited. Objective: To determine the prevalence and clinical patterns of orofacial clefts at St. Francis Regional Referral Hospital from January 2020 to September 2025. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study using total population sampling of all recorded orofacial cleft cases. Data analysed with SPSS version 27. Results: Twenty-nine cases were identified among 18 434 live births (prevalence 1.57 per 1 000). Isolated cleft palate was the commonest type (58.6 %), followed by cleft lip and palate (24.1 %) and isolated cleft lip (17.2 %). Females predominated (58.6 %). Left-sided clefts were most frequent among unilateral cases. Associated anomalies occurred in 10.3 %. Conclusion: Orofacial clefts occur at 1.57 per 1 000 live births in this setting, with isolated cleft palate predominant. Strengthened surveillance and early multidisciplinary referral are recommended.