[Doubts of caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate on postoperative care after cheiloplasty and palatoplasty].

OBJECTIVE

To identify the main doubts of caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate on postoperative care after cheiloplasty and palatoplasty.

METHOD: Cross-sectional study carried out in a reference hospital, between September and November 2012. The sample was composed of 50 individuals divided in two groups, of which 25 caregivers of children submitted to cheiloplasty, and 25 of children submitted to palatoplasty. The doubts were identified by an interview applied during the preoperative nursing consultation and were then categorized by similarity. Descriptive statistics was used for analysis of the outcomes.

RESULTS

Concerning cheiloplasty, the doubts were related to feeding (36%), hygiene and healing (24% each), pain and infection (8% each). With regard to palatoplasty, the doubts were related to feeding (48%), hygiene (24%), pain (16%), bleeding (8%) and infection (4%).

CONCLUSION

The study evidenced the concern of caregivers in relation to feeding and care of the postoperative wound.