Caring for a Newborn With Oral Clefting If you have a newborn with oral clefting, one of the most stressful times you may have is the first year of your child's life. In addition to the normal stresses any new parent experiences, you have to adapt to special feeding procedures, surgeries , and an increased number of colds and ear infections . Many parents also experience grief and depression when their child is born with a birth defect . It can be difficult to allow yourself to experience these emotions when you're struggling to deal with your child's daily care. It can be especially difficult if the cleft wasn't detected in an ultrasound.
Many parents experience shock and confusion in the delivery room.
In many hospitals, parents now meet with a cleft palate team coordinator or geneticist within hours of their child's birth - this can help ease concerns and answer initial questions. Special Considerations for Parents of Newborns Get in touch with your child's cleft palate team and your insurance company as soon as you find out about your child's cleft. They can answer your questions about the type of care your child is likely to need, as well as how it will be financed . Any team that is under the umbrella of ACPA has to meet certain guidelines. Contact ACPA for their national and international listing of teams.