The impact of having a baby with cleft lip and palate on parents and on parent-baby relationship: the first French prospective multicentre study

BACKGROUND: The objective of this prospective, multidisciplinary and multicenter study was to explore the effect of a cleft lip, associated or not with a cleft palate, on parents, on parent-infant relationship, and on the baby’s relational development. It also highlighted how the type of cleft and the timing of the surgery could impact this effect. METHOD: 158 infants, with Cleft lip with or without Palate, and their parents participated in this multicenter prospective cohort. Clinical evaluations were performed at 4 and 12 months postpartum. The impact on the parents and on the parent-infant relationship was evaluated by the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), the Edinburgh Post-partum Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Impact-on-Family Scale (IOFS). The relational development of the infant was assessed using the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB). The main criteria used to compare the infants were the severity of cleft and the time of surgery. RESULTS: The timing of surgery, the type of malformation or the care structure had no effect on social withdrawal behaviors of the child at 4 and 12 months postpartum (ADBB). Furthermore, early intervention significantly decreased maternal stress assessed with the PSI at 4 months. Parents for whom it had been possible to give a prenatal diagnosis were much better prepared to accept the waiting time between birth and the first surgical intervention (IOFS). Higher postpartum depression scores (EPDS) were found for both parents compared to the general population. CONCLUSION: A joint assessment of the mental health of both infants and parents is required in the follow-up of cleft lip and palate. Even if most families are remarkably resilient faced with this major cause of stress, a significant proportion of them could require help to deal with the situation, especially during this first year of follow-up. An assessment of the child’s social withdrawal behaviour and of the parental stress and depression appears useful, in order to adapt care to infant and parent’s needs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00993993. Registered 10/14/2009 <.