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Facial cleft deformities: maternal perceptions regarding causes and interventions.

Maternal perceptions regarding the causes of a facial cleft deformity as well as the quality of support during medical interventions were surveyed with an open ended questionnaire. The sample consisted of 138 mothers of children up to 10 years of age attending a facial cleft deformity clinic. The responses were content analysed and thematically grouped. It was found that the subjects' views regarding the causes of facial cleft deformities changed markedly after attending counselling sessions. Ignorance about scientifically verified causal variables such as infections, medication, situational and hereditary factors decreased appreciably. The counselling sessions appeared to play an essential role in the subjects' understanding and coming to terms with their children's deformity. Their comments concerning the children's treatment in general hospitals as well as the facial cleft unit included both frustration and praise. Suggestions on enhancing support emphasised the need for accessible information, greater reassurance from medical staff at the general hospitals where delivery took place, the formation of support groups, speedy diagnosis and referral to a multiprofessional unit as well as being allowed to be with their children in hospital before and after surgical interventions. The results were discussed and tied to the available literature.