Impact of Social Vulnerability, Race, and Urbanicity on Early Nutritional Outcomes in Patients With Cleft Palate

Patients with cleft palate experience early feeding difficulties, resulting in increased hospital utilization due to poor nutritional status. Sociodemographic factors may impact access and outcomes for cleft patients. This study investigates the association of social vulnerability, race, and urbanicity on birth encounter metrics and failure to thrive (FTT) rates for patients with cleft palate. Retrospective data from 2013 to 2023 was queried from Cosmos, a national deidentified database from Epic electronic health record. Birth metrics, the prevalence of FTT, and MyChart activation rates were compared across sociodemographic cohorts based on (1) social vulnerability index (SVI) quartiles, (2) patient race, and (3) USDA Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes using χ 2 or Fisher exact tests. There were 92,437 patients diagnosed with cleft palate. Birth weight was lower in socially vulnerable and Black patients (SVI 75%: 101.50±1.57 oz; SVI 25%: 106.40±1.85 oz; Black: 95.3±2.63 oz; White: 104.90±1.02 oz; Other: 104.80±2.09 oz), and length of stay was longer (SVI 75%: 21±2.39 d; SVI 25%: 15±2.18 d; Black: 22±4 d). FTT related admissions increased with SVI quartile (Q25: 0.19%; Q25-50; 0.29%, Q50-75: 0.34%; Q75: 0.47%; P <0.001). An opposite trend was observed for MyChart activation rates ( P <0.001). High SVI and Black patients are susceptible to unfavorable nutritional outcomes. Access disparities, such as direct-to-provider communication systems (ie, MyChart), may contribute. Awareness of social identities, geography, and community may assist in providing individualized care in early life.