Advantages of breast milk feeding for cleft lip and palate infants : comparative study

Abstract EN

Background : This study is conducted to record the advantages of breast milk feeding for infants with cleft lip and / or palate and to assess whether education of parents has any role to play in diminishing the expected difficulties associated with feeding techniques.

Materials and methods : The sample of this study consisted of 76 Iraqi infant (45 male, 31 female) with different types of congenital cleft lip and / or palate.

They were seen in the college of Dentistry, university of Baghdad.

Every infant was provided with feeding baby plate, and breast pump sucker and instruction through video films demonstrate breast feeding to demonstrate breast feeding.

Follow up was arranged regarding any possible change in feeding and the health of infants.

A detailed questionnaire forms were completed together with their families (the father or the mother or both of them) Observational statistic were then performed.

Results : Using feeding baby plate and providing the proper information regarding different feeding interventions and using expressed milk results in significant improvement when compared with artificial feeding for infants with cleft lip and / or palate.

Conclusion : Cleft lip and /or palate infants suffer from difficulties during breast feeding.

However appropriate and proper education and counseling by health care provider to the parents of the infant with cleft lip and /or palate anomalies can reduce problems for the infant with the added advantage of continuing breast feeding.