Journal article
Assessment of Felt Needs of Caregivers of Children With Orofacial Cleft in a Low-Middle-Income Country: A Longitudinal Study
The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal
07/02/2026
DOI: 10.1177/10556656261465174
PMID: 42390473
Abstract
Objective
To determine the changes in felt needs of caregivers of children with cleft lip and/or palate (iCL/P) from first clinic presentation to first surgical intervention.
Design
Longitudinal observational study.
Setting
A tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
Patients, Participants
Caregivers of children with nonsyndromic CL/P (iCL/P) managed at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria from January 2023 to December 2024.
Intervention
Multiple semistructured counseling sessions.
Main Outcome Measures
Caregivers felt needs at time of first clinic presentation (T1) and at time of first surgical intervention (T2).
Results
Eighty caregivers, all mothers of children with iCL/P were included. Their mean age was 31.1 ± 6.24 years. At T1, information on etiology of iCL/P, surgical intervention, feeding and potential speech challenges were considered very significant needs. Feeding was also considered a primary concern for most participants. At T2, after counseling sessions, there was a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of caregivers who considered information on surgical intervention, improvement in family and community acceptance and improvement in clinical psychology as very significant needs, while potential speech challenge became the primary concern of most caregivers. Caregivers of children below 1 month of age were also found to have significantly higher felt needs compared to those with older children.
Conclusions
The waiting period between birth and first corrective surgery can be stressful for caregivers of children with iCL/P. Repeated counseling from first clinic visit to first surgical intervention may be beneficial to caregivers and should focus on the domains of needs highlighted in this study.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Assessment of Felt Needs of Caregivers of Children With Orofacial Cleft in a Low-Middle-Income Country: A Longitudinal Study
- Creators
- Adegbayi Adeola Adekunle - Lagos University Teaching HospitalUchenna Patrick Egbunah - Lagos University Teaching HospitalOlawale Olatubosun Adamson - Lagos University Teaching HospitalOlutayo James - Lagos University Teaching HospitalMobolanle Olugbemiga Ogunlewe - Lagos University Teaching HospitalAzeez Butali - University of IowaWasiu Lanre Adeyemo - Lagos University Teaching Hospital
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal
- DOI
- 10.1177/10556656261465174
- PMID
- 42390473
- NLM abbreviation
- Cleft Palate Craniofac J
- ISSN
- 1055-6656
- eISSN
- 1545-1569
- Publisher
- Sage
- Grant note
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 07/02/2026
- Academic Unit
- Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Craniofacial Anomalies Research Center; Dental Research
- Record Identifier
- 9985180877702771
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