Crusaderhotnews
By Patricia Amogu
I was still resting from the pains of childbirth, my husband and family had started calling other members of the family to share the good news of our daughters arrival.
Overwhelmed with joy, my mother in law, had left Koton-karfi in Kogi that morning and made her way to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja on hearing the cheering news.
Mrs Bilikisu Kujarah, a local birth attendant who had helped me deliver my baby at home that morning was cleaning up my baby when she first noticed a cut on my baby's lip.
She said it was a birth defect and that we had to take the baby for checks at the hospital adding that there were myths around these uncommon birth condition
Recalling her experience, Habiba,a 29 year old housewife, narrated while bursting into tears as she recalled how her mother in law received her baby followed by calls for an appease of the gods.
"She said it was a curse from the gods and blamed me for bringing shame to the family.
"The gods are angry and this baby will bring shame and disgrace to this home "she told us.
"What could we have done to offend the gods?I inquired of Mama .
With days turning into weeks and months of endless search for solutions.
"My mother started feeding our four month old baby with some local herbs and spices as soon as she couldn't withstand our thoughts of approaching the hospital for treatment or any form of medical solutions.
She said that bringing the baby outside will further cause more troubles for the family as our baby may die in the process
We were referred to various health centers and hospitals by the Health Centers in Agwandodo where we reside in Gwagwalada
Rumors had quickly spread of my mystery birth, neighbors whispered and some friends said if only I could visit some prayer homes for better solutions.
"It was two years now and my mother in law had travelled back home when my husband and I went to the hospital to check up on our baby's condition where we encountered a Matron,who broke the condition down to us.
Mrs Okpara Ngozi,a Matron and specialist at the National Hospital, in Abuja, explained to us how our baby can feed better and become healthier, saying we can approach the hospital for a cleft palate lip surgery .
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Cleft lip and palate are facial and oral malformations with appearances of birth defects that occur very early in pregnancy while the baby is developing inside the mother's womb.
According to Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft charity organisation, one in 700 children are born with cleft globally.
In Africa, at least 32,000 children are born with cleft annually, with about 20 per cent (6,186) in Nigeria.
However, a high proportion of patients did not have access to early treatment due to ignorance and financial constraints.
Challenges
Children born with clefts ,have severe speech impairments which makes them subject to stigmatisation within their families and communities,they also have difficulties with breathing, breastfeeding and will usually have a feeding pattern difficult to maintain.
Globally ,Cleft lip s one of the most common congenital abnormalities and has a birth prevalence rate ranging from 1/1000 to 2.69/1000 amongst different parts of the world.
Everyday, 540 babies are born daily with a cleft..
Sponsorship and partnerships
Over the past 20 years, Smile train has transformed the lives of more than 1.5 million children in Africa.
Awazie Victoria ,Senior Program Manager, West Africa told NAN that Smile Train has sponsored various trainings for surgeons locally crested a lot of awareness on the condition while providing free surgeries and post surgery nourishment to both mother's and their babies
She urged parents to seek medical attention at the first sight of cleft care appearances, adding that caregivers should be more committed and dedicated.
Today, Smile Train has performed over 32,150 surgeries for children and adults born with cleft lips and palate in the east, west, north and south of the nation.
"There is still no concrete explanation to cleft development medically but it is more associated with abnormal formations and interplay between genetic and environmental factors including, poor nutrition of the mother and there are also claims of heredity.
"Dr Amina Abubakar,a Consultant Plastic Surgeon at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, FCT said during a workshop in Abuja.
She disclosed that Smile train is doing a lot to change the stories and myths around the condition by ensuring adequate awareness about the disorder.
"Smile train has provided free trainings in Nigeria,out of the surgeries done ,we have never lost one baby,we ensure that these babies are well nourished before the surgical procedures.",she added.
NAN decals that before Smile train started up cleft awareness in Africa, most cases were left untreated due to ignorance and degrading beliefs in various cultures and communities and also due to the high cost of surgery.
Awazie noted that the Organisation has partners with hospitals in different states and countries to offer free treatment for both adults and children born with cleft lip and palate in over 90 countries globally.
In Gwagwalada and Abuja environs today, the story is changing as more expectant mothers and midwives in several hospitals are embracing the truth about the dysfunctional birth condition.
Rachel Akor ,an 18 year old female told NAN that she had just undergone a successful surgery at the General Hospital, Gwagwalada and was more confident to speak as she had spent years of growing up, covering her mouth while speaking and was unable to smile before her peers.
"My friends would laugh when I open my mouth to talk and many around our neighborhood will not as much come close to me,in school I found it difficult to cope and cried everything I was jeered at in school.
Now am very happy,I can not only talk perfectly,I can smile, laugh and play freely with my friends in School."she explained.
Smile Train is the World’s largest cleft-focused organisation which provides training, funding and resources to empower local medical professionals in over 70 countries to provide 100 per cent free, safe, timely and comprehensive cleft surgeries and other forms of essential cleft care in their own communities.
Today, Smile Train has performed over 33,000 surgeries for children and adults born with cleft lips and palate in the east, west, north and south of Nation changing the narrative and bringing back smiles on faces of families and friends of cleft lip patients.
NAN also recalls that Cleft palate alone (CP) results in a prevalence rate of 5.5 to 6.6 per 10,000 births .
The average cost for a cleft lip reconstructive surgery is about N150,000.(NAN)
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