my $parameter_output = `echo "\n" |programname -help`;

##</code><code>##

pipe (IN,OUT);
my $pid = fork ();
die("fork failed") if (!defined($pid));
if ($pid == 0 ) {
#the child
exec ('programname -help');

}
else {
    #parent
    sleep (2);
#printing the newline character in the child process
    print OUT "\n";
    waitpid ($pid,0);

 
}

##</code><code>##

sub print_it {print "\n"};
my $SIG{INT}=\&print_it;
....
else {
    #parent
    sleep (2);
    kill INT=>$pid;
    waitpid ($pid,0);

 
}