Breastfeeding and factors associated to feeding in babies with cleft palate

Abstract

Breastfeeding can be affected in babies with cleft palate, due to various factors associated with feeding. The objective of the study was to relate the time of breastfeeding and the time to express breast milk with factors associated with feeding in babies between 0 and 6 months with cleft palate. Electronic records of care of 36 babies with cleft palate from a public hospital in Chile were reviewed. Sociodemographic characteristics of the mother and father, perinatal and postnatal antecedents of the babies and general characteristics of feeding up to 6 months were extracted. The data were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test and relationships were established with the Pearson and Spearman correlations. In the time of direct breastfeeding (days), significant differences were observed in: the babies who used a nasogastric tube (p = 0.009), the indication to express breast milk (p = 0.017), the presence of manual extraction of breast milk (p = 0.005) and the presence of electrical extraction of breast milk (p = 0.002). In addition, a positive correlation (p = <.001; r = 0.538) was recorded between the time of direct breastfeeding and the time of expressed breast milk. It is concluded that the longer the breastfeeding time, the longer the breast milk extraction time. Meanwhile, the time of breastfeeding was influenced by the use of a nasogastric tube, the expression of breast milk as a personal option, and the manual and electrical expression of breast milk.