Psychopathology in Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool Children with Nonsyndromic Clefts of the Lip and/or Palate: A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to assess psychopathology and maternal interactions in infants, toddlers, and preschool children with nonsyndromic clefts of the lip and/or palate (NSCLP) and association of psychopathology with cleft-related factors and maternal interactions.

DESIGN

Twenty-six children from 4 to 72 months of age with NSCLP, who were attending the Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Department were included as the case group. Fifty-two healthy children who were matched on age and sex with the case group were taken as controls. Children were assessed in aspects of psychiatric diagnosis, articulation, and development.

RESULTS

Speech and language disorders (SLD) ( P <0.001), disorders of affect (DA) ( P =0.005), feeding behavior disorder ( P =0.002), sleep-behavior disorder (SBD) ( P =0.038), and disordered mother-child relationship ( P <0.001) were more prevalent in children with NSCLP. Dental alignment ( P =0.024), number of operations ( P =0.006), and type of operations ( P =0.012) were associated with DA. The children in the case group, who had disordered relationship with their mothers had significantly more SLD ( P =0.036) and SBD ( P =0.039).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with NSCLP are at risk of developing psychopathology, especially SLD and DA. Maternal interactions and the above cleft-related factors and may be the target of interventions to prevent and treat psychiatric disorders in these children.