Association Between Cleft Lip and or Palate and Hospitalization Outcomes Among Newborns in the United States

ObjectiveTo examine the association between the occurrence of cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) in newborns (compared to newborns without CLP) and in-hospital outcomes such as mortality, length of stay (LOS), and hospital charges.DesignRetrospective study.SettingNational.PatientsThe National Inpatient Sample database for the years 2020-2022 was used in the present study. All newborns were included in the study. They were grouped into newborns born with CLP and newborns without CLP.InterventionsNone.Main outcome variableIn-hospital mortality, LOS, and hospital charges. Multivariable regression models were used to examine outcomes.ResultsOf 10,422,242 newborn hospitalizations in 2020 through 2022, 15,300 were diagnosed with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP). During this period, the in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher among newborns with CLP (3.9%) compared to those without CLP (0.03%). Hospitalization charges for newborns with CLP were substantially higher than those without CLP (mean charges of $106,617 versus $22,671). The average LOS in those with CLP was 10.5 days compared to 3.4 days in those without CLP. In-hospital mortality, LOS, and hospital charges were significantly higher in newborns with CLP compared to those without CLP after controlling for potential confounders (<i>P</i> < .001).ConclusionsThe overall incidence rate of CLP among hospitalized newborns was 1.468 per 1000 newborns during the study period. Following controlling for a variety of patient and hospital-related variables, in-hospital mortality rate, LOS, and hospital charges were significantly higher among newborns with CLP compared to those without CLP.