Maternal Experiences of Having a Child with a Cleft

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the feelings of Vietnamese mothers having a child with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P), their belief in the causation of CL/P, and changes in their postpartum life.

Method: A total of 76 mothers participated in this retrospective study. Questionnaires were used to gather information.

Results: The prominent feeling was sadness. Almost half of the mothers did not think about the reason of CL/P.A majority of the mothers received support from the husband and/or family members. No changes in the mother’s postpartum life were recorded in nearly half of the responses.

Conclusions: Vietnamese mothers' feelings were negative but less extreme and intense. Many were not aware of the causes of the defect. Changes in their life were little.