A feeding aid prosthesis for a preterm baby with cleft lip and palate

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Craniofacial Anomalies
• Prosthodontics

Background:

• Cleft lip and palate is a common congenital defect impacting infant feeding and speech.
• Feeding difficulties in infants with cleft palate cause parental distress and affect infant growth.
• Feeding aid prostheses are crucial for managing feeding until surgical correction (palatoplasty).

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an advanced clinical and laboratory technique for fabricating feeding aid prostheses for newborns with cleft palate.
• To evaluate the efficacy of feeding aid prostheses in improving feeding, speech articulation, and growth in infants.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of custom acrylic resin feeding aid prostheses relined with soft materials.
• Impression technique using heavy body silicon putty and a custom wax tray.
• Data collection on feeding time, milk consumption, and infant growth (height, weight) pre- and post-prosthesis.

Main Results:

• 70% of the 10 infants studied accepted and utilized the feeding aid prostheses until palatoplasty.
• Infants who accepted the prostheses showed significantly improved growth compared to those who rejected them.
• The prostheses aided feeding and were used until surgical intervention.

Conclusions:

• The described technique for fabricating feeding aid prostheses is effective for infants with cleft palate.
• Feeding aid prostheses significantly improve infant growth and feeding outcomes in this population.
• Early intervention with feeding prostheses supports infant development prior to surgical palatoplasty.