COPING STRATEGIES OF PARENTS AND CLEFT LIP PALATE PATIENTS

Based on the study entitled Coping strategies and social support in the family impact of
cleft lip and palate and parents' adjustment and psychological distress (Baker et al, 2008) , while
there were many impacts of a child’s cleft lip palate, results showed that parents have higher
levels of positive adjustment and stress-related growth as a result of their child’s condition. They
have also shown high levels of social support and relied more on approaching rather than
avoiding the impacts as their coping strategy. Having more support coming from family and
friends was associated with less negative family impact, lower psychological distress and better
adjustment for the child. The use of approach coping was associated with more positive
outcomes for the patient with cleft lip palate as well as for the patient’s parents.

Baker, S.R., Owens, J., Stern, M., Willmot, D. (2008, August 20). Coping strategies and social
support in the family impact of cleft lip and palate and parents' adjustment and
psychological distress. Retrieved January 20, 2018 from
http://www.academia.edu/19403022/Coping_Strategies_and_Social_Support_in_the_Fa
mily_Impact_of_Cleft_Lip_and_Palate_and_Parents_Adjustment_and_Psychological_Di
stress.

According to Kids Health Organization (n.d), Genetic counseling is done by first

performing a genetic test by analyzing small samples of blood or body tissues which can
determine whether a parent or the baby carry genes for certain inherited disorders. Genetic
counseling is the process of evaluating the results of this investigation and helping the parents
understand and reach decisions about what to do next. Through the help of a genetic counselor,
the parents will be able to understand any potential problem areas in their family or medical
history that can possibly cause a disorder. The counselor can also help the parents to understand
the inheritance patterns of any potential disorders and help assess their chances of having a child
with those disorders. Aside from that, genetic counseling can help parents understand their next
options and adjust to any uncertainties that they will face. Through this counseling, the parents
can be prepared for whatever the results of the genetic test will be and it can also help them in
coping and dealing with the possible challenges that comes along with having a child that has a
disorder. Genetic counselors can, however, also refer the parents with specialists for further help.
Genetic counselors can also refer parents to social workers, support groups, or mental health
professionals which can help them adjust to and prepare for their future.

Prenatal Genetic Counseling. (n.d). Retrieved January 20, 2018 from

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/genetic-counseling.html?WT.ac=p-ra#
 According to Fletcher, Hunt, Channon and Hammond (2012), social support has been
emphasized as the most useful in the process of coping with having a child with a cleft lip and
palate as well as the perceived support from professionals that are involved with the child’s
health care. The support given by the patient’s friends and family were shown to have resulted
to lower distress, better adjustment and less negative impact on the family. In terms of coping
strategies by parents, the use of approach coping or seeking of support, problem solving and
positive appraisal was associated with more positive results compared to avoidant coping.
Social support was also identified as one of the coping strategies used by parents. The
significance of support from other parents has also been highlighted in the study.

Fletcher, A.J., Hunt, J., Channon, S., & Hammond, V. (2012, August 15). Psychological Impact

of Repair Surgery in Cleft Lip and Palate. International Journal of Clinical Pediatrics,

1(4-5), 93-96. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/ijcp39w.

Based on an article created by the Kids Health Organization (2013), Many kids with a
cleft lip and palate experience occasional teasing and can be easy targets because their
differences are visible. Kids who get tease many times can have a difficulty in handling it and
may need help in knowing how to respond. The parents can help their child cope with these
scenarios by encouraging them to say if they get tease and by calmly listening and showing them
that you understand their feelings. Another thing to do is to teach them some ways on how they
can deal with it like using a confident voice to tell the child who is teasing to stop, ignore or
calmly walk away from the teasing, avoid acting too upset, thinking of a short phrase or joke to
say in response and telling an adult or a teacher about it. The parents can also help their children
by being a role-model and teaching them to become resilient by offering support, encouraging
activities and friendships that will develop their strength and confidence. Many schools
nowadays already have programs that deals with problems of teasing and bullying and promotes
positive relationship between kids. The parents can ask a school staff and cooperate with them to
make sure that an adult in charge will respond to such situations. If the teasing doesn’t stop and
the parents start to notice sudden changes with their child’s behaviour, they can talk with a
counsellor or mental health professor for additional support.

How Can Parents Help Kids Handle Teasing?. (2013). Retrieved January 20, 2018 from
http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/lip-tease.html?WT.ac=p-ra.