Short mandible – a possible risk factor for cleft palate with/without a cleft lip

Structured Abstract Objectives To estimate the influence of a short mandible on the risk of developing a cleft palate with/without a cleft lip ( CP ). Setting and sample population The retrospective sample consisted of 115 2‐month‐old Danish infants with CP , and 70 control infants with unilateral incomplete cleft lip ( UICL ). Material and Methods Cephalometric X‐rays were obtained. Mandibular length ( L m ) was measured and corrected for body length ( L b ) to remove influence of varying body length in the sample. Logistic regression was applied to the corrected mandibular length ( L mc ) to calculate the risk of having a cleft palate. Results The mean mandibular length in the group with CP was about 4 mm shorter than in the control group. Odds ratio ( OR ) was calculated to be 0.58 (95% confidence interval 0.48–0.68), implying that an individual's risk of cleft palate with/without a cleft lip increases about 50% per mm decrease in mandibular length. Conclusions A special facial type including a short mandible is a possible risk factor for cleft palate, and it was found that the risk of cleft palate increases 58% per mm decreases in mandibular length.