Psychological impacts of cleft

Having a baby born with a cleft can be a stressful and emotional time for families. Diagnosis, birth, feeding and surgery are all key milestones for parents. As the child grows older, they may also encounter challenges associated with looking and sounding a little different from their peers.

While most people affected by cleft cope very well with these challenges, having the right support in place when it is needed is crucial. The Psychology aspect of the Cleft Collective cohort studies aims to address one of the key questions that parents often ask: “Will my child be OK?”

By asking the parents and children in our study questions about their wellbeing, we hope to identify the key difficulties that families may experience, and to develop and improve the support that is available to anyone affected by cleft lip/palate.