Social Services for the Family with a Cleft Palate Child

Abstract

Early intervention in the form of brief, initial, supportive counseling after delivery and while the mother is still hospitalized is essential. Research (Clifford and Crocker, 1971) has supported the necessity of parents and relatives seeing the newborn soon after delivery. During the mother's hospital confinement, the social worker strives to see both parents within 24 hours after delivery, preferably jointly and in a private and comfortable area. T h e parents are usually in a state of shock and cannot assimilate a great deal of technical information. Therefore it is necessary to give simple and repeated explanations, ask for feedback to assess parental understanding, write down simple instructions, and schedule several follow-up meetings with the couple while the mother is still hospitalized (Borg and Lasker, 1981). A sensitive, and nonthreatening initial approach achieves the goal of an early positive relationship between the parents and the Cleft Palate Team. This relationship is important for later family involvement. During the early hospital contacts, the social worker must be cautious not to overwhelm the couple with overintensity of contact, information, and explanations. The focus is on supportive interaction, providing information on the supportive networks available to the family, and encouraging their use of that system. Hospital policy should allow visits by relatives, children, and friends to strengthen the emotional support system. The opportunity to be depressed, express disappointment, and to cry is an important therapeutic release. These behaviors are recognized and discussed with the parents and not discouraged when they occur. Too often well-intentioned individuals have interfered with this meaningful process and created increased guilt and repression of feelings. Soon after the delivery, the parents view a special color photo album of numerous "before and after" photographs of actual preoperative and postoperative cleft lip corrections, which helps to allay fears of a permanent deformity. A similar use of photographs was reported by Dar, Winter,