Services offered to children with cleft lip/palate in the Maltese islands

Abstract

Local data about the perceptions of Maltese healthcare professionals (HCPs) and parents of children with cleft lip (CL) and/or cleft palate (CP) in relation to the services offered to children with clefts is not available. Thus, the purpose of this research was to investigate the services offered to children with CL and/or CP in the Maltese islands from the views of HCPs and parents of respective children. A cross-sectional research design was adopted. Structured interviews based on questionnaires which were formerly set by a project through an Erasmus + program, were carried out. Local data was gathered by using these questionnaires with 10 HCPs, three parents of children with CL and/or CP aged 18-36 months, and six parents of children with CL and/or CP aged 3-12 years. Their responses were analyzed and findings showed the nature of such service provision in the Maltese islands, the views of HCPs in regards to the wellbeing of these respective children and their families, and the challenges faced, together with how these could be improved so as to make the services provided more efficient. The results obtained were compared to other findings in the literature together with those of other European countries involved in the Erasmus+ programme and similarities were relatively evident.