Physical Health Guatemala Project #14869

Surgery for Guatemalans with Cleft Lip and Palate

by Partner for Surgery

Project Report | Jul 12, 2017
Our Cleft Infant Nutrition Program

By Frank Peterson | President

Astrid, before and after

Partner for Surgery helps provide medical care to many children and their families, but there is one particular program that we are very proud of: Cleft Infant Nutrition Program.

Through this unique program, we accomplish three major goal by preventing:

Malnutrition, so the child will thrive and qualify for surgery;
Speech impediment, by providing cleft palate surgery before the child reaches the age of one and a half;
Ostracization with the community of family and child.

With around 165 children enrolled in the program at any given time, it is vital that Partner for Surgery continues to raise funds to provide all the care needed for these children. A single month of life saving nutrition to one cleft infant costs $35 in Guatemala.

Our impact in Guatemala has become quite noticeable. In the past, almost all the infants with clefts were first seen at our rural medical missions. Now, over 85% are referrals from government medical personnel and community midwives, which means the infants remain in better health and can qualify for surgery earlier than before.

During the Workshop in Congenital Malformations led by the George Washington University/Milken Institute of Public Health, and held at the Universidad Rafael Landívar on June 2016 in Guatemala, many presentations indicated that inadequate micronutrients in the diet of newly pregnant mothers is an important factor in formation of cleft defects. Now we are studying the possibility of adding a fourth prevention element: education. This effort would focus on educating children in school on how better food preparation and nutrition can reduce cleft anomalies.

In the next few days, Faces of Hope will join us in Guatemala to help provide surgery to dozens of cleft patients who are ready to leave the nutrition program and move to the next step of their life changing journey.

Elda, before and after

Orlando, before and after

Playtime after surgery

ACPC, our Guatemalan counterpart

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