Cognitive, Emotional and Personal Features of Children with Cleft Lip and Palate

Abstract

Introduction

Cognitive and behavioural problems usually accompany isolated clefts of the lip and/or the palate (ICLP) [1].

Aims

To investigate cognitive, emotional and personal features of children with ICLP in comparison with non-cleft children from complete families and non-cleft orphans.

Methods

The ICLP group consisted of 29 children (age 14.2 ± 0.7). The first comparison group (1CG) consisted of 34 non-cleft children (age 14.1 ± 0.5). The second comparison group (2CG) consisted of 30 non-cleft orphans (age 13.8 ± 0.8). Drawing tests “House-Tree-Person” have been selected to evaluate the level of children's development, emotional and personal features in all three groups. M. Luscher Color test was chosen to figure out the children's psychological state, regardless of education level.

Results

The most characteristic features of the ICLP children and 2CG were similar. They included infantilism (69%; 43.3%), low self-control (65.5%; 56.7%), demonstrative demeanor (62%; 36.7%), escape from reality into fantasy (93%; 76.7%), anxiety (69%; 63.3%). ICLP children compared with the 1CG has shown significantly higher level of aggression (79.3% vs. 4.2%), increased self-esteem (59.6 vs. 4.2%), impulsiveness (51.7% vs. 16.7%), the importance of other people's opinions (59.6% vs. 29.2%). Contrary, the feelings of lack of emotional warmth, the need for protection were observed in 1CG more frequently–70.8% vs 55.2% in ICLP and 60% in 2CG.

Conclusions

Psychological correction in children with ICLP should be aimed at increasing the adaptive functions, facilitating communication with peers, search the area for self-realization.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.