Béal, Elisa
Some Thoughts about Psychological Support for Families with a Child with Cleft Lip and Palate
- 2017.
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Cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, is one of the most common human malformations. Diagnosis, whether made during pregnancy or after the child’s birth, is a great psychological shock for the parents. They then usually function in two different ways: the medical care way, trying to repair their child’s physical abnormality, and a more psychological way, coping with fantasies, fears, and anxieties. While they are willing to meet the different professionals involved in their child’s health follow-up, we note that they have a kind of reluctance to see a psychologist. Why is this? This paper attempts to follow the various psychological phases experienced by parents of children with cleft palate. Our goal is to better adapt the psychological support offered to these families.