Publication:

Anthropometric nutrition outcomes of children under 5 years undergoing cleft palate repair at CoRSU rehabilitation hospital Uganda; trends, patterns and determinants

Background Objective of the study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of postoperative malnutrition and compare the preoperative and postoperative trends and patterns of malnutrition among children under 5 years undergoing cleft palate repair at CoRSU rehabilitation hospital in Uganda.

Methods A cross-sectional analytical study done between March 2018 and March 2019 at CoRSU rehabilitation hospital; a tertiary rehabilitation hospital offering free comprehensive cleft care to patients from Uganda and beyond. We consecutively enrolled 115 non-syndromic children under 5 years who had undergone complete cleft palate repair at CoRSU hospital at least 3 months previously. Children’s anthropometric parameters; weight for age Z score, height for age Z score and weight for height Z score were obtained and compared at initial, preoperative and postoperative visits.

Results The prevalence of wasting was 53.0% versus 12.7% versus 4.4% that of stunting was 44.4% versus 41.7% versus 48.7% that of underweight was 57.4% versus 34.8% versus 15.7% while that of overweight was 0.0% versus 5.2% versus 9.6% at initial, preoperative and postoperative visits respectively. Postoperative stunting was independently associated with age groups 12-23 months (p=0.013) and 24-59 months (p=0.006), residing in Eastern (p=0.021) and Western (p=0.033) regions and being stunted (p=0.000) or wasted (p=0.028) preoperatively.

Conclusions Postoperatively, the prevalence of both wasting and underweight reduced by 10- and 3- fold respectively; prevalence of stunting remained critically high while that of overweight increased nearly 10-fold. Surgery improves the nutrition status of children with cleft palate.