
FRIDAY, July 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Having multiple surgeries for cleft lip and palate doesn't appear to have a major impact on children's mental health, a new study shows.
But there may be one three-year period that ups the odds for anxiety and depression, researchers say.
The study included 55 teens with cleft lip and palate (CLP), a birth defect where the lip or palate doesn't form properly and has an opening in it. The participants had multiple reconstructive surgeries to improve appearance, eating, hearing and speech. On average, they each had six procedures by age 14.
They, and a comparison group of teens without the birth defect, underwent standard assessments of anger, anxiety and depression.
There were no major differences between the two groups. Among those with CLP,...