Craniofacial Newborns Home Visitation Service
Cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, affects one in 600 babies annually in Asia. Lily is a migrant work from the Philippines who has a 6-month baby boy Luke.
Lily was very stressful when she contacted us. Luke is her first child and born with cleft palate. Lily’s families are in the Philippines and she doesn’t have much friends around to support her as a new mom with an infant with special needs. “Every time when I feed my baby, milk will come out from his nose. I am afraid that Luke couldn’t take as much as nutrition as he should.” Lily even started to doubt that if she is good enough to be a mom. Lack of sleep and “newborn mom’s worries” burdened Lily down.
“Craniofacial Newborns Home Visitation Service" is a program the NCF delivers to serve caregivers like Lily. We home visit craniofacial caregivers and demonstrate newborn care, such as how to bottle feed a newborn, clean mouth after feeding, burping techniques, comfortable sleeping gesture for newborn and other newborn care experiences sharing. Newborn parents always benefit from these demonstrations. “I feel much relief after seeing all this. Really appreciate.”
When we left, we can see a big change. Lily’s face creases into a huge smile of relief. And we know that’s what we want and we believe Lily can make it!
