Dealing With An Unexpected Finding At Birth

As a doctor, I faced one of the most difficult situations of my life during a routine cesarean operation. The mother needed this operation for some medical reason. So, it was planned in advance but wasn’t publicized much.

After the baby was delivered, I saw that she was born with a cleft lip – a noticeable irregularity in her lip, just below the nose. I didn’t expect this as ultrasound tests performed during the pregnancy didn’t show any irregularity. I was unsure of how her parents would react to their baby’s cleft lip. Yet, I had no other way but to let them know that their baby wasn’t born “perfect”.

I don’t remember the exact words but I said something like this to the mother: you have given birth to an adorable baby girl.

Her toes and fingers are all in place but she has one irregularity – a cleft lip. I paused for a few seconds to let her understand the implication of this news. The parents had not seen their girl yet because the nurses had taken the child from the operating table. Hearing my words, the baby’s mother graciously told that her mother had a cleft lip too.

I am sure that having seen the grandmother with a cleft lip has helped this couple accept the reality quite easily. I thought that knowing their baby was in good health, had a bright future ahead and wasn’t too ugly to look at made the parents rest easy.

However, I was impressed by the attitude of this new mother for whom her baby’s life was more important, and who was aware that having a cleft lip wasn’t the end of the world.

I am unsure if I would have reacted with such grace in case I had faced a similar situation. What made me glad was the fact that parents of this baby will give their unconditional love to her. As I was cleaning out and rearranging my files, I came across the picture of that little girl. I was very happy to remember once again the mother who was proud of her lovely baby, despite the cleft lip. The mother-daughter duo began a lovable relationship that day.