Children: Association advise parents on Cleft Lip, Palate rehabilitation

The National Association of Cleft Lip and Palate, (NACLP) in Nigeria has urged parents to give optimal approaches in the repair of Cleft Lip and Palate in children to avoid malnutrition and early death. A Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a Consultant Oral and maxillofacial surgeon, at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Prof Mobolanle Ogunlewe made the call in Abuja, Nigeria during the two days conference of the 4th National Association of Cleft Lip and Palate, (NACLP).

In her keynote lecture, Prof Ogunlewe charged professionals in the field not only to close the gap but also to refer patients to professionals that will ease the emotional trauma from parents and caregivers.

“So we also need to continue to educate our colleagues and so that they will know that this is not just closing the gap, that actually eases the child, it is very important, I think this is one of the things we need to continue to advocate, and also the emotional support is also very important, particularly for the parents, they carry a lot of burdens caring for these children, you just need to see them when they come to the clinic in the first visit, there’s no way you will not have compassion on them, so we also need to attend to their emotional problems, so closing the gap should not be a priority and should not be the only way we are going to treat the patients with cleft lip and palate”. She said.

In his speech, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Engr. Mahmuda Mamman reiterated the federal government’s commitment to desirable quality care, including orofacial care, formulation of policies, and coordinating programs that will improve the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria. Engr. Mamman said the ministry is currently reviewing the national oral health policy and NOMA strategy plan and called on Nigerians to support NACLP and Smile train in financing the process of cleft lip and palate in Nigeria.

“Deliberations from this conference will contribute to guiding the finalization of the two documents subsequently. The Association and Smile Train will continue to be important partners of the ministry in the efforts to provide quality care to the people of this country through continued collaboration and leveraging on our mutual desire and aspirations”. He said.

The President, the National Association of Cleft Lip and Palate, (NACLP) in Nigeria, Prof. Fadekemi Oginni said the reason for the holistic approach towards cleft care in Nigeria is that patients still go with palate unrepaired after surgeries and still realized that without the palate repair, they still living an incomplete life. Prof. Oginni said the theme of the conference “Building Holistic Approach to Cleft Lip and Palate Care in Nigeria: From Surgery to Rehabilitation and Beyond” is apt and appropriate for the association setting.

“As we evolve from the days of patients receiving cleft lip repair and disappearing with their palate defects, to more turning up for palate repairs, and failing to show up for necessary post-operative rehabilitative care. We of necessity need to move on with rehabilitation and assessment of our patients’ quality of life thereafter. We have also come to a point where we know it is not all about surgery but – its outcome and patients’ eventual rehabilitation”. She said.

She said in the same vein, the subthemes of the conference rightly capture rehabilitation (Speech and Orthodontic care). “While we have very few (about 90) Orthodontists to cater for the entire National population, the ratio is worse for patients with cleft lip and palate or isolated cleft palate as only 15 of the 90 are involved in cleft care delivery in Nigerian, orthodontists Post Fellowship Training Is another step in the right direction to foster Comprehensive cleft care delivery in Nigeria”. She added.

The Senior Programme Manager of West Africa Smile Train, Miss Victoria Awazie said Smile Train is a US-based partner that has been in Nigeria since 2007 to make sure every child born with cleft lip and cleft palate gets free surgery in their environment to avoid stigmatization.

“Many of them are stigmatized, they don’t come out in the society, some of the children don’t witness your first birthday because of the stigmatization, some of them are killed by birth, so Smile Train has taken it upon herself to make sure that these children get this surgery free by empowering our local medical professionals to be able to offer these services to our patients in the environment where we find ourselves and our collaboration with National Association of cleft lip palate Association of Nigeria is to make this thing happen, every person you see here is working in small trend recognize partner hospitals, to be able to carry out this holistic treatment to the patient in the community”. She said.

The conference which started with a road work with the theme: “BUILDING A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CLEFT LIP AND PALATE CARE IN NIGERIA, FROM SURGERY TO REHABILITATION AND BEYOND” was to create awareness for parents and caregivers to bring their children who suffer from cleft lip and palate for early rehabilitation.