Prevention of abandonment of children with congenital cleft lip and palate

Abstract

Introduction: Congenital facial anomalies are a diverse group of diseases with different genetic basis and clinical manifestation, and the involvement of many facial structures requires the participation of different specialists in their treatment. Aim: The aim of the present study is to assess the attitudes of parents of children with congenital cleft lip and palate toward caring for them in a family environment and to provide guidelines for preventing their abandonment in foster homes. Material s and M ethods: A total of 70 children with congenital cleft lip and palate were examined and assessed in terms of the need for special care. The results were statistically processed by SPSS v. 20.0, using variation, comparison and correlation analyses. Results: The results of the analysis showed that boys predominate (57.1%), as well as children of Bulgarian origin (62.9%), while those of Roma and Turkish origin had the same share (18.6% each). The results of the survey showed that 62.9% of the children were raised in the family, 17.1% of the children were placed with a specialized institution until the operative correction of the anomalies, after which they were raised in the family, and 20.0% were abandoned for upbringing in the specialized institutions. Conclusion: The follow-up of children with congenital cleft lip and palate showed that children who were raised in a family environment socialized significantly better than the children who were abandoned with specialized institutions, because they were not only provided with specialized care, but were surrounded by attention in the family, attended kindergartens and schools and had the opportunity to communicate with normal healthy children.