TITLE:
Expectations of Caregivers of Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate Attending the Cleft Clinic of KATH for the First Time
AUTHORS:
Emile Kouakou Tano, Priscilla Felicia Tano, Paa Ekow Hoyte-Williams, Alexander Oti Acheampong, Peter Donkor, Solomon Obiri Yeboah
KEYWORDS:
Cleft Lip and Palate, Caregivers, Congenital, Abnormalities, Malformation
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.13 No.10,
October
20,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is one of the most
prevalent congenital malformations affecting the face worldwide, with high
prevalence in Asians, Americans, and Caucasians and low in Africans. Orofacial
Clefts (OFCs) are among the causes of perinatal death in Ghana. The children
often experience difficulties in swallowing, feeding, and speaking. These
children often face problems in cognition, education, and communication.
Caregivers’ ignorance of treatment, poverty, and noncompliance with follow-up
schedules are obstacles to optimal cleft care. Most studies focus on the
incidence of cleft, but not much is known about caregivers’ expectations. Methodology: An exploratory
qualitative study design was used for this research between October and
November 2020. The study site was the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana. The
respondents were recruited from the oral health clinic. Included in the study
were all CLP caregivers attending the cleft clinic for the first time.
Purposive sampling was used to select fifteen caregivers who met the inclusion
criteria. Face-to-face interviews with a semi-structured interview guide were
used to collect data. The data were analyzed using NVivo software. Three major
themes and six sub-themes emerged from the data analysis using thematic
analysis. Ethical clearance was obtained for data collection. Results: Most caregivers were
expecting their babies to be operated on, and they were certain that the cleft would
be repaired at the end of the treatment, but they were unfamiliar with the
process and cost of treatment. Less than half of the caregivers reported that
they were oblivious to what to expect the first time visiting but had hopes that the healthcare
professionals would be able to close the cleft for their babies. Conclusion: The majority of the
caregivers expressed fear and disappointment at the diagnosis of their child.
Some caregivers were very scared to the level where they had to hide the babies
from the public. Others reported being already in financial difficulties, so
their children’s conditions would compound them.