[Antenatal surgical consultation: Specific place in management of cleft lip and palate]

The aim of this study was to analyze the experience of families regarding the place of surgical antenatal consultation (SAC) in the management of a cleft lip or cleft lip and palate (CL-CLP).

This was a single-center, retrospective study. A Drag'n Survey questionnaire has been sent by e-mail to the Rare Diseases Competences Center cohort of patients, born between 2008 and 2022. We sought among further domains the stress' level, the information's, the consultation's usefulness, the feeling of being considered to by the surgeon, the end-of-pregnancy's undergoing and the long-term care's understanding perceived by the parents. We asked parents if the given SAC's documents were useful to them.

A total of 139 families were included in the study. Of these, 68/139 responded to the questionnaire. In 90% of cases, the questionnaire was completed by the mother. Eighty-six percent of parents had conducted Internet searches for information about CL-CLP, and 39% had conducted research on the surgeon prior to the SAC. Parents reported feeling stressed prior to the SAC in 75% of cases and during the consultation in 52%. After the SAC, 59% of parents reported feeling less stressed, whereas 8% reported increased stress. Ninety-seven percent of families reported feeling confident in the surgeon. Parents felt that the surgeon was attentive to their concerns in 94% of cases, and 95% of families were able to ask all the questions they wished. Eighty-nine percent of families reported understanding the surgeon's explanations, which were rated as "very" or "completely clear" in 91% of cases. The surgeon's choice of words was considered appropriate in 92% of cases. The duration of the SAC was considered sufficient in 81% of cases, while 15% of families would have wished for a second consultation. The documents provided during the SAC were helpful to parents in 62% of cases. The SAC helped 92% of responding parents cope better with the end of the pregnancy, provided answers regarding the condition in 85% of cases, helped parents understand the surgical management in 62%, and facilitated understanding of their child's long-term care in 57% of cases. This work allowed us to confirm our thoughts about the SAC's value to the families into handling CL-CLP. It guaranteed the surgeon to have a bond based on full communication and also enabled the family to reduce stress, which has a significant impact on improving the end of the pregnancy.