By Samira Larbie
Accra, Aug. 23, GNA— Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, Medical Director of Operation Smile Ghana, a non-governmental organization, says clefts are not a curse, but rather a medical issue that can be remedied.
He said the condition could be surgically resolved in 45 minutes.
Dr. Ampomah, also the Chief Executive Officer of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, stated this at a news conference organised by Operation Smile Ghana as part of measures to raise awareness about the condition ahead of the Cleft Awareness Week in Accra.
Cleft conditions are congenital abnormalities that develop in the early stages of pregnancy and cause the child to be born with an opening in the lip (cleft lip), the roof of their mouth, or both.
According to research, a child is born with a cleft every three minutes, making it the world’s third most prevalent congenital condition.
Ghana has an average cleft incidence of one in every 700 births.
Dr Ampomah said cultural beliefs and myths such as the assumption that clefts were the result of infidelity, God’s judgment, evil spirits, and curses, had led to the relocation of some families due to stigmatisation.
He said parents and family members considered those children as problems and would wish them dead since they would affect their marriage prospects.
Dr. Ampomah explained that clefts could be caused by abnormal genes, environmental variables such as drug and alcohol use, smoking, illness, malnutrition, infection, and a lack of Vitamin B (folic acid) during pregnancy.
He noted that heavy metals and toxins from galamsey, which contaminated water bodies, could result in cleft problems.
“With the way galamsey activities are ongoing, I will not be surprised if there are increases in the cleft conditions. We do not have to wait for it to happen,” he stated.
Dr. Amponsah said the condition could lead to difficulties with breathing, eating, hearing, and speaking.
He advised women to avoid taking unprescribed drugs when they missed their periods and instead attend the hospital to prevent such conditions in their children.
Mr. Henry Quist, Acting Country Manager for Operation Smile, said the initiative provided free comprehensive health treatment to cleft sufferers.
He said that they bear all expenditures associated with the patients’ food, nutritional supplements, transportation, and accommodation.
Mr. Quist advised parents to report cleft cases to any health facility promptly for early detection and treatment.
He emphasized that children with cleft lips should be fixed within three months of birth, and those with cleft palates must have them repaired within nine to 18 months to aid in the development of normal speech.
Ms Dede Teiko Kwadjo, a nutritionist, said that patients needed to be nourished before surgery.
As a result, she said that they were screened, fed, and observed until the required weight for surgery was met.
Dr. Adjoa Konadu Apratwum, a dentist, explained that dental care supports optimal oral health, prevents oral diseases, and corrects dental anomalies that can contribute to speech impairment.
It also boosted patients’ self-esteem and confidence in addition to enhancing their overall quality of life.
Ms Priscilla Kareem Tetteh, the NGO’s speech therapist, said the patients underwent therapy after surgery to rehabilitate them for speech development and articulation.
She said the NGO provided weekly speech treatment to individual patients, weekly audiology mobile clinic deployment in hard-to-reach communities, and monthly language enrichment sessions for caregivers.
Dr. Edem Anyigba, an NGO surgeon, said the cleft was repaired through short-term surgical and hospital-based programmes.
He said the organisation offered, among other things, a multidisciplinary team approach to surgery, as well as structured and high-quality care.
GNA