title: Parental satisfaction in Ugandan children with cleft lip and palate following synchronous lip and palatal repair.
abstract: The purpose of the present case control study was to assess parental satisfaction with speech and facial appearance in Ugandan children with complete unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate (CLP), who underwent a synchronous lip and palatal closure. The results are compared with an age- and gender-matched control group. The experimental group consisted of the parents or guardians of 44 Ugandan patients (21 males, 23 females) with complete unilateral or bilateral CLP (mean age: 3;1 years). The control group included the foster mothers of 44 orphan children matched by age and gender (mean age: 3;7 years). A survey based on the Cleft Evaluation Profile was used to assess the perceived satisfaction for individual features related to cleft care. Overall high levels of satisfaction were observed in the experimental group for all features (range: 56-100%). No significant differences could be established regarding age, gender, age of lip and palatal closure, cleft type or maternal vs. paternal judgments. In participants who were dissatisfied with the appearance of the lip, the time period between the cleft closure and the survey was significantly larger compared with satisfied participants. Furthermore, significantly lower levels of satisfaction were observed in the cleft group for speech and the appearance of the teeth and the nose compared with the control group. Satisfaction with speech and facial appearance in Ugandan children with cleft lip and/or palate is important since normal esthetics and speech predominantly determine the children's social acceptance in the Ugandan society.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  As a result of reading this manuscript, the reader will be able to explain the attitudes of parents toward the surgical repair of their children's cleft lip and palate. As a result of reading this manuscript, the reader will be able to identify differences in parental attitudes toward synchronous lip and palate repair.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Department of Otorhinolarygnology, Logopaedic and Audiologic Sciences, De Pintelaan 185, 2P1, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Anke.Luyten@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.forename: Evelien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'haeseleer
authors.forename: Dorte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Budolfsen
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galiwango
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.forename: Kristiane
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Lierde
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008046:Lip / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D010159:Palate / Q000601:surgery; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014454:Uganda
keywords: Cleft; Facial appearance; One-stage palatoplasty; Rural countries; Satisfaction; Speech