IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS) e-ISSN: 2320–1959.p- ISSN: 2320–1940 Volume 10, Issue 2 Ser. VI (Mar. – Apr. 2021), PP 57-66 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/1959-1002065766 www.iosrjournals.org 57 | Page Cleft Lip and Palate Complicated by Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy A Need for Psychosocial Counseling Abdalkarim Said Radwan Associate Professor Faculty of Nursing- Islamic University of Gaza P. O. Box 108, Palestine Abstract Cleft lip and cleft palate are openings or splits in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth (palate) or both. Cleft lip and cleft palate result when facial structures that are developing in an unborn baby don't close completely. Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects. They most commonly occur as isolated birth defects. The main reasons of cleft in infants may be either environmental (such as smoking, alcohol, poor nutrition) or but are also associated with many inherited genetic conditions or syndromes, genetic factors. Having a baby born with a cleft can be upsetting, but cleft lip and cleft palate can be corrected. In most babies, a series of surgeries can restore normal function and achieve a more normal appearance with minimal scarring. A number of specialists involves in treatment of cleft and decides the best treatment plan depending on the site of defect and age of the infant. In this case of cleft lip and cleft palate is rare due to complications that occurred as a result of milk aspiration, which led to a lack of oxygen that resulted in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, convulsions, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, and multisystem organ failures. Kay words: Cleft lip, Cleft palate, Encephalopathy, Psychosocial Counseling --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 03-04-2021 Date of acceptance: 17-04-2021 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction Clefts of the lip and/or palate (CLP) are currently the most common craniofacial birth defects that arise as a result of failure of facial embryonic processes to fuse .These congenital growth diseases can be isolated or associated with other anomalies or part of recognized syndromes. The majority of these orofacial clefts are non-