Abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with clefts face a high risk of malnutrition (undernutrition) with a range of serious life-threatening challenges. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition in children with clefts in Rwanda. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among children with clefts admitted at a Hospital in Rwanda between 2018 and 2022. Descriptive statistics were conducted, and WHO Z-scores were used to classify nutritional status (stunting, wasting, underweight, and overall malnutrition). Subsequently, chi-square and logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with malnutrition, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of malnutrition was 54.2%. Children with combined clefts were 61.8% more malnourished. The odds of malnutrition were 1.69 times (AOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.14 to 2.48) more among males. Similarly, the prevalence of malnutrition was about three-fold more among children <12 months of age (AOR: 2.81; 95% CI: 1.61 to 4.87) and 2.20 times more among children of divorced parents AOR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.26 to 3.83), and 2.50 times (AOR: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.31 to 4.78) more among children with combined clefts. Moreover, household income has a significant association with malnutrition (P=0.049). Similarly, children with cleft lips were 1.58 times (AOR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.36) more likely to be malnourished than those with cleft palate. CONCLUSION: The burden of malnutrition among children with clefts was high. Early identification and appropriate feeding management are crucial to ensuring no one is left behind in the fight against malnutrition.