Analysis of Disease Burden and Trends of Orofacial Cleft in Chinese Children Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
SHEN Qingyang
MA Haiyan
GUO Gang
CHENG Hongbing
HU Xiaofang
Abstract：Objective Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021(GBD 2021),this study analyzes the changes and trends in the disease burden of orofacial clefts(OFCs)among children aged 0-14 years in China from 1990 to 2021.Methods Data on the incidence,prevalence,and disability-adjusted life years(DALYs)of OFC in Chinese children aged 0-14 years from 1990 to 2021 were extracted from the GBD 2021 database.The Joinpoint regression model was used to calculate the annual percent change and average annual percent change(AAPC)of OFC,and to analyze its long-term trends.The trend of DALY for OFC among Chinese children from 2022 to 2050 was also predicted.Results From 1990 to 2021,the incidence rate,prevalence rate,and DALY rate of OFC in Chinese children showed a significant downward trend,with the decline in the DALY rate being particularly pronounced.In 2021,the number of incident cases,prevalent cases,and DALYs of OFC in children were 12 000,116 700,and 16 100 person-years,respectively,representing decreases of 71.43%,43.97%,and 97.06%compared with 1990.The age-standardized incidence rate,age-standardized prevalence rate,and age-standardized DALY rate in 2021 were 3.87/100 000,35.25/100 000,and 5.04/100 000,respectively,which decreased by 58.86%,24.76%,and 95.88%compared with 1990.From 1990 to 2021,the disease burden of OFC in Chinese children showed a significant downward trend.The AAPC of the age-standardized incidence rate for boys and girls were-3.04%(95%CI:-3.77%--2.31%,P<0.001)and-2.78%(95%CI:-3.43%--2.12%,P<0.001),respectively;the AAPC of the age-standardized prevalence rate were-1%(95%CI:-1.16%--0.85%,P<0.001)and-0.96%(95%CI:-1.10%--0.81%,P<0.001),respectively;the AAPC of the age-standardized DALY rate were-9.97%(95%CI:-10.51%--9.43%,P<0.001)and-10.24%(95%CI:-10.93%--9.55%,P<0.001),respectively.It is predicted that the DALY rate in the<5 years age group will decrease to 6.05/100 000(3.67/100 000-9.18/100 000)by 2050,a decline of 56.82%compared with 2022;the DALY rate in the 5-14 years age group will decrease to 1.87/100 000(1.13/100 000-2.93/100 000)by 2050,a decline of 2.10%compared with 2022.Conclusion From 1990 to 2021,the incidence and prevalence of OFC in Chinese children showed a significant downward trend,with the DALY rate declining the fastest.Compared with girls,the decline in disease burden was more pronounced in boys.Therefore,greater attention should be paid to the prevention,treatment,and screening of OFC in children in the future,and strategies for the prevention and treatment of birth defects in line with China's national conditions should be further strengthened.The focus of OFC prevention and treatment in China should shift from reducing mortality to comprehensively improving the quality of life of affected children.
Keywords：orofacial cleftscongenitalchilddisease burdendisability-adjusted life yeartrend analysis
Publication Date：2026-02-20
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-16(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 335-340 )