The Unexpected Pregnancy Outcome: 4 A Child with a Facial Cleft

This Australian study was conducted to understand some of the issues involved where a child is unexpectedly born with a cleft lip and/or palate (CLP). Parents involved in this study had followed their child’s development from birth to adulthood having completed all surgery, and each now involved in the community as adults. Because these children were now more than 26 years old, many resources available to parents now were not accessible when these children were young, for example, early ultrasound screening. This study found that there were expected parental concerns for each child, particularly when surgery was imminent. These concerns were minimized by the support provided by the relevant health professionals, as well as CleftPals, an Australian cleft lip and palate support group, together with their immediate and extended families support during the difficult times.