Breast Milk Feeding Practices and Barriers and Supports Experienced by Mother–Infant Dyads With Cleft Lip and/or Palate

Abstract

Objective: To examine trends in breast milk provision and to characterize the breast milk feeding practices experienced by mother–infant dyads with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) in a large US sample. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: An online survey was distributed through cleft-related social media sites in the United States and in a single cleft lip and palate clinic. Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis H tests and post hoc Mann-Whitney tests to examine group differences based on cleft type and prenatal versus postnatal cleft diagnosis. Linear regression was used to estimate associations between obtained variables. Participants: One hundred fifty biological mothers of infants (8-14 months of age) with CL/P (15% cleft lip, 29% cleft palate, 56% cleft lip and palate). Results: Forty-six percent of mothers of infants with CL/P provided breast milk to their infant for at least 6 months. Five percent of infants ever fed at breast, and 43% received pumped breast milk via bottle. The most commonly reported supports included lactation consultants, nurses, feeding therapists, and online support groups. Feeding therapy was received by 48% of infants. Conclusions: A lower percentage of mothers of infants with CL/P reported providing breast milk compared to national estimates of the general population of infants without clefting. Results suggested there are multiple barriers, as well as numerous medical and psychosocial supports that facilitated breast milk feeding success. Implications for care are discussed.