Cross-cultural attitudes and perceptions towards cleft lip and palate deformities

Physical attractiveness is highly regarded in many societies. Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) deformities have a global prevalence of up to 1 in 500 live births worldwide. Individuals with CLP face a myriad of problems in life including discrimination and prejudice. The cultural background of the different communities these individuals belong seems to have an impact on the type of treatment they receive. We compare and discuss the cultural attitudes, perceptions and approaches of CLP individuals, their families and peers in the Chinese, Africans and Indians. The perceived causes for CLP range from the Divine and evil spirits to astrology and diets. Traditional healers unique to each community are often involved in the management of the CLP, instead of Western medicine. Methods used by these healers vary as well. The motivations in seeking treatment include increasing the chances of getting a proper education and finding a spouse. There is a lack of well-controlled research and good evidence in our current knowledge of the relationships between CLP treatments and the influence of cultural perceptions. Presently, the evidences are more descriptive than quantitative. There is much potential for future research.