When the truth is finally told, the child has to cope with whatever unpleasantness is part of that truth, but the child will also have to sort out self-doubt from mistrust. Moreover, the child will always wonder what else the parents might have lied about and when the parents might lie again. Finally, the child will have been taught to be deceitful, by his own parents no less. Surely, the overwhelmingly large number of falsehoods which parents tell their children are motivated by a desire to ease the children's anxiety and fear and to protect them from sadness. But to protect a child from the truth, unless there are serious and extenuating circumstances, is only to delay reality and cause confusion.
Responsible honesty is always the best policy.
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