A Study of the psychological effects of facial deformity in children

Abstract

Anecdotal reports of the psychological effects of facial deformity suggest that the area around the mouth is of crucial importance. In the first of two studies, children in London and Amsterdam ranked drawings of facially deformed children; their ordering was consistent, with a hare lip or protruding teeth being the most commonly rejected. A second study followed up 24 children aged about 8 years who had had a hare lip repair. The results did not confirm the hypothesis that such children differ from their non-handicapped peers in overt behavior in school.