Investigating psychosocial impact of cleft lip and palate on patients and parents

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study are to evaluate the psychosocial impact of cleft lip and palate [CLP] condition among non-syndrome patients and their parents in Malaysia. Total eighty three CLP patients [age > 10 years] and eighty three parents were selected from university of Malaya medical centre [UMMC] and Hospital Kota Bharu I Hospital Raja Perumpuan Zainab II [HKB I HRPZII] Kelantan Malaysia. The Questionnaires were used for determining impact of CLP condition on psychosocial status of patients and parents. It was found that due to CLP condition majority of patients were teased. In addition, the self-confidence of CLP patients was also adversely affected. Among the parents 22.9% felt upset always, 36.1% felt upset often while 8.4% felt upset sometimes about their child oral cleft in the current study. Only 26.5% of the patients reported that they have problems at school due to their CLP condition. About 54.2% of patients were having very good relationship with other children, 37.3% had reasonably good and 8.4% were having quite good relationship with other children. The prevalence of teasing was quite high among the oral cleft patients. The self-confidence was adversely affected because of the cleft condition among majority of the patients