The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #60859

Dawna A. Sanchez, BS, RD, PHFE-WIC Program, 12781 Schabarum Ave., Irwindale, CA 91706, (626) 856-6650, dawna@phfewic.org

The PHFE-WIC Program’s Cleft Palate Support Group began with the realization that many of our clients lacked adequate information concerning how to care for their children with cleft lip or palate. The Cleft Palate Support Group was created to help families understand the plethora of information and the associated nutritional needs relating to their children with special health care needs.

This support group has created a unique partnership between Cleft Palate Teams in our local hospitals and the PHFE-WIC Program by inviting health care professionals from those teams to give presentations in their particular fields of expertise, such as dentistry, genetics, psychology, pediatrics, social work and plastic surgery. Parents are able to obtain education as well as emotional support by learning more about procedures that their children have gone through or will be going through in the future. Informed parents are more willing to maintain their children’s medical appointments and look forward to future medical treatments to improve their child’s condition after attending these support groups.

Our facilitators provide a safe and comfortable environment in Spanish and English for clients to share their experiences and ask questions to those parents who have already gone through procedures that their children are now facing. Many of the parents of our 297 WIC infants and children are attendees at these support groups. Our program began with a support group in only one center and has now expanded to seven different WIC sites geographically located throughout our program.

Learning Objectives:

• After the presentation, the participant will be able to:
• - Further understand the medical and nutritional requirements related to their children with cleft lip/palate.
• - Assist families in locating the appropriate services for their special needs children.
• - Provide a supportive and encouraging environment for these families to discuss issues related to their children's condition.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.