Feeding Management and Palate Repair Timing in Infants with Cleft Palate with and without Pierre Robin Sequence: A Multisite Study

Abstract

Objectives Compare the feeding management practices in infants with cleft palate with and without Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) and determine if specific feeding difficulties or interventions predict delayed palate repair. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting Seventeen cleft palate teams contributed data. Patients 414 infants were included in this study: 268 infants with cleft palate only and 146 infants with cleft palate and PRS. Procedures Data were collected via parent interview and electronic health records. Main Outcome Measures Outcomes for the primary objective included categorical data for: history of poor growth, feeding therapy, milk fortification, use of enteral feeding, and feeding difficulties. The outcome for the secondary objective was age in months at primary palate repair. Results Infants with PRS had a significantly higher prevalence of feeding difficulties (81% versus 61%) and poor growth (29% versus 15%) compared to infants with cleft palate only. Infants with PRS received all feeding interventions—including feeding therapy, milk fortification, and enteral feeding—at a significantly higher frequency. Infants with PRS underwent primary palate repair at a mean age of 13.55 months (SD = 3.29) which was significantly ( P < .00001) later than infants with cleft palate only who underwent palate repair at a mean age of 12.05 months (SD = 2.36). Predictors of delayed palate repair included diagnosis of PRS as well as Hispanic ethnicity and a history of poor growth. Conclusions These findings can be used to establish clinical directives focused on providing early, multimodal feeding interventions to promote optimal growth and timely palate repair for infants with PRS.