Summary
The maxillary cleft lip and palate fissure (CLPF) is a public health problem in Chile. It involves the lack of fusion of the lip and / or the palatal processes, generating a skeletal muscle imbalance that prevents normal facial development, further affecting vital functions such as breathing, sucking and swallowing. It may also cause nutritional problems. An observational, analytical, retrospective cohort study was carried out, to assess the growth in weight status of breastfeeding infants with maxillary CLPF, and compare it with children without fissure during the first year of life. The study was based on data obtained in 2017, from interviews with mothers of infants with non-syndromic CLPF, and those without CLPF from the same region in Chile. In children without CLPF, exclusive breastfeeding predominated, while children with CLPF received mixed breastfeeding (47.7 %) and exclusive use of formula milk (33.3 %). During the first year of life, infants with CLPF weighed an average of 0.45 kg and measured 1.11 cm less, than children without fissures. Children with CLPF received less breastfeeding and ranked lower in weight and growth than children / without CLPF during the same time period, with weight being the most affected growth parameter.
KEY WORDS: cleft lip palate, breastfeeding, weight and height.
How to cite this article
CORDERO E.; MADRID, P.; ESPINOZA, I.; ULLOA, C. & PANTOJA, R. Comparative growth and development study in children with cleft lip and palate fissure versus children without fissure. Int. J. Odontostomat., 14(1):35-41, 2020.
