To Assess Prevalance of Various Feeding Techniques Used for Children with Cleft Lip/Palate Prevalent in Southern India and to Assess Their Effectiveness in Improving Energy Intake and Growth of Children with Cleft Lip/Palate

Aim: To assess various feeding techniques used for children with cleft lip/cleft palate.

Introduction: Cleft lip/palate is a condition wherein there is an opening or slit in the upper lip/palate. Maintaining optimum nutrition in children with cleft lip/palate is a challenge owing to the feeding and swallowing difficulties these children face. This article aims to discuss various feeding techniques used in southern India and to analyse their effectiveness in helping the infant with weight gain and overall development.

Materials and Methods: Cross sectional study done in south India using structured questionnaire. It consisted of 100 children <2 years of age visiting the cleft clinic in Saveetha Medical College and Hospital. Data was analysed statistically and evaluated using chi square test.

Results: This study concluded that paalada (65%) was the most commonly used technique to feed children with cleft lip/palate in southern India. The study also concludes that formula feed was the most widely used feed to effectively increasing weight of the child with cleft lip/palate. Education about feeding practices is vital in helping the mother understand the importance of healthy weight gain, growth and development.

Conclusion: Though the majority of parents visiting a cleft clinic are educated on the do's and don'ts of feeding a child with cleft lip/cleft palate, the data is inconclusive of the exact situation in India, so more research on the subject is needed to improve the feeding experience of children with cleft lip/cleft palate.