Time trend of incidence rates of cleft lip/palate in Taiwan from 1994 to 2013

Background: This study was to estimate the incidence rate of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (CL/P) in Taiwan from 1994 to 2013, and to assess the time trend over these years. Methods: Retrospective data analysis was performed on records of all newborns with CL/P treated at Chang Gung Craniofacial Center, the only treatment center for CL/P in Taiwan, from 1994 to 2013. Three-year moving average rates were computed and linear regression was used to explore the annual average percentage change. Results: From 1994 to 2013, 7282 newborns with CL/P were identified, corresponding to an annual rate of 1.48‰ (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.45‰–1.52‰). There was a significant decline of rate of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) (−2.9% ± 0.2%, p