The Perception and Experience of Parents of Children with Cleft Lip and Palate Concerning the Use Pre-Surgical Infant Orthopedics: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: A transitory period prior to the surgical correction of cleft lip and palate (CLP) is associated with adverse impacts, which may require a medical intervention. Pre-surgical infant orthopedics (PSIO) is deemed to reduce the functional and psychological burden, offering a transition until the definite surgical intervention. Aim: To assess the attitude of Iraqi mothers concerning the application and management of pre-surgical orthopedic appliances in children with cleft lip and palate, taking consideration of the mothers' occupational status. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in the College of Dentistry at Baghdad University from 5 January 2020 to 4 December 2021. A questionnaire form was validated based on existing data related to the assessment of parents' satisfaction concerning PSIO. Results: A concern related to the impression procedure was reported by a minority of the participants (6.8%) and it was associated mainly to the perceptions of housewives' vs. working mothers (p < 0.05). The perceived infants' discomfort during the impression procedure reported at 11.9% was significantly associated with housewives' status (p < 0.05). In general, the vast majority of respondents considered the impression as being non-invasive (96.6%). Most mothers found no difficulties in following the instructions of the specialist regarding the insertion of the PSIO and/or taping the elastic bands (62.7%). Respondents believed that CLP infants routinely require PSIO treatment. Interestingly, only a minority of mothers performed an Internet search to look for information about PSIO (7%). The majority indicated the PSIO treatment as beneficial for their infant and a substantial proportion of respondents were satisfied with the outcomes of PSIO, encouraging other parents to consent the PSIO treatment. Conclusion: In general, mothers broadly acknowledged the primary concept of PSIO and accepted the proposed treatment, with a positive attitude towards pre-surgical CLP management, regardless their socio-economic status. They seemed to understand well the expected benefits of PSIO, including feeding improvement, normalization of speech, and optimization of future surgical outcomes.