Factors associated with parental adaptation to having a child with a cleft lip and/or palate: the impact of parental diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of parental diagnosis of cleft lip and/or palate on factors associated with parental adaptation to having a child with a cleft.

DESIGN

A mixed-methodological, quasi-experimental, causal-comparative research design.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 27 parents born with a cleft lip and/or palate and 27 parents born without a cleft lip and/or palate completed the study measures.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The Ways of Coping Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory were included along with a researcher-designed, cleft-specific questionnaire.

RESULTS

The cleft-specific questionnaire revealed that parents born with a cleft lip and/or palate reported feelings of guilt significantly more often than did parents without a cleft lip and/or palate. Parents without a cleft reported feeling anxious significantly more often than did parents born with a cleft lip and/or palate. The qualitative aspect of the study yielded further between-group differences. The feeling that their own cleft-related experiences influenced their adjustment to having a child with a cleft emerged as a dominant theme for parents born with a cleft; whereas, parents without a cleft lip and/or palate highlighted the importance of accurate information and positive interactions with clinicians in facilitating adjustment to their situation. No significant between-group differences were found on the standardized measures; however, the study's small sample size increases the risk of type II error and may account for the lack of significant findings.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings appear to provide support for the widely held clinical opinion that parental diagnosis of cleft lip and/or palate impacts how parents cope with and adjust to their child's diagnosis.