An investigation into infant feeding in children born with a cleft lip and/or palate in the West of Scotland

Aim To investigate feeding practices in infants born with a cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) in the West of Scotland and the challenges that the parents of these children experienced especially in the first hours and months after birth.Methods A questionnaire involving a 'face-to-face' interview was completed with parents of cleft children under the age of 6 years with a cleft lip and/or palate attending the Oral Orthopaedic Prevention Clinic (OOPC).Results 90 questionnaires were completed and analysed. The incidence of breastfeeding in this study at birth was 54%. In comparison, the incidence of breastfeeding in Scotland nationally was 63% in the year 2000 and 70% in 2005 indicating a lower uptake of breastfeeding for this CLP population. Cleft type had a significant impact on whether the infant was breastfed (pConclusions This study recommends the employment of more SCNs and an improvement of the knowledge of non-cleft health care professionals.