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

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.