The emotional and social concerns of mothers of children with cleft palate: A cross-sectional study.

PROBLEM: Among birth defects, a cleft palate is one of the most common defects globally, with a prevalence rate of 1 in 700 live-born children per annum. Caring for a child with cleft palate is considered a challenge for mothers who provide around clock care for these children. Despite this, there is limited knowledge of their experiences and needs particularly in low resource settings.

BACKGROUND: Previous literature emphasized that mothers of children with cleft palate face many challenges involving emotional distress, social isolation, and financial burden.

QUESTION: To investigate the emotional and social concerns of mothers of children with Cleft Palate compared to mothers of children without cleft palate.

METHODS: A comparative study design was conducted at the Jordanian Royal Medical Services using convenience sample of 312 mothers of children with and without cleft palate in Jordan.

FINDINGS: There was a significant difference in the presence of anxious feelings between mothers of children with cleft palate and those mothers without cleft palate children. Within group comparison for mothers of children with cleft palate has shown a significant difference in their social concerns with regards to social support and child's future.

DISCUSSION: Mothers of children with cleft palate reported significantly higher levels of sadness feelings. These emotions could be attributed to several factors, including the financial burden associated with medical treatment and interventions, the burden of caring for a child with special needs, the social stigma related to the child's appearance, the lack of public awareness, and the insufficient social support services.

CONCLUSION: Mothers of children with Cleft Palate experience a considerable amount of emotional and social concerns which require urgent interventions.