Help for cheerful smiles all around

A CHENNAI hospital and an NGO have joined hands to tackle a birth defect that is generally neglected - cleft deformity.

The Sri Ramachandra Medical College will provide free surgery and rehabilitation to those with cleft and palate deformity with support from The Smile Train, a US-based NGO.

Cleft deformity is the most common birth defect, with about 35,000 cases recorded yearly in India, Mr. K. Satish Kalra, MD, the Smile Train, said.

But parents are either not aware that it can be corrected, or cannot afford the treatment.

Also, cleft deformity is not a priority with the Government, and even some paediatricians, as ``it is not life-threatening,'' he says.

But the real problem is that such children have an extra burden in competing with their peers, and are socially ostracised.

Ideally, the child should be treated before it is one year old, says Dr. Jyotsna Murthy, a plastic surgeon with the SRMC specialising in cleft treatment.

Early treatment will allow for easier rehabilitation as the child's speech and teething patterns would not have developed at that stage.

Most cases she handles are of children from poor families. While the cause for the deformity has not been identified yet, it could be owing to poor maternity care, Dr. Murthy reasons.

However, even adults can avail of medical help in getting over the defect. Compensation will be provided even for treatment- related costs, like travelling.

The Smile Train will also be testing a `Mid-wife incentive plan', to encourage reporting of defects to the hospital. This, the NGO hopes, would prevent her from killing the child at birth.

The mid-wife will also be encouraged to help bring the child for operation before it is three-months old.

In India, five specialist hospitals in Southern States have been identified for project partnership with the Smile Train.

By Feroze Ahmed

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