"This book was written for brothers and sisters of a new baby with cleft lip/palate. It is also intended for children born with a cleft to help them learn about themselves. Children may not understand why they, or the new baby in their family, have a cleft. This book is meant to provide some answers to questions children may not know how to ask"--Introduction.

Clefting is one of the most common birth defects and one of the most reparable. Yet parents of clefted newborns often initially respond with fear, shock, and despair. This first guide written specifically for parents explains what a cleft is, why it occurs, and what can be done about it. Topics include surgical procedures, financial assistance, emotional impact, and forming support groups.

At first sight it may appear strange that a volume of Progress in Pediatric Surgery should be devoted to the history of our specialty. One assumes that progress is concerned primarily with recent developments whilst history deals with matters of the past. However, in the past there has also been considerable progress in the development of our understand ing of paediatric surgical problems, otherwise we would not have pro gressed to our present achievements. The editors, therefore, do not apologize for compiling this volume but, on the contrary, feel that the publication of this volume is most timely. Modern paediatric surgery has now been practised for three genera tions. The handful of pioneers who were the founders of our specialty worked mainly before the last world war. A few dozen of the inter mediary generation started work immediately after the war, while the new generation who are now dominating our specialty must be counted in thousands. Two factors have radically altered paediatric surgery as practised by the intermediary and the present generation of surgeons.