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Evidence in infants with cleft palate that breast milk protects against otitis media

J L Paradise1, B A Elster, L Tan

  • 1University of Pittsburgh Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Center, PA.

Pediatrics
|December 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Breast milk feeding, even when artificially administered, significantly reduces middle ear effusion in infants with cleft palate. This suggests breast milk offers protection beyond improved eustachian tube function.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Otolaryngology
  • Clinical Nutrition

Background:

  • Infants with cleft palate often experience feeding difficulties and are highly susceptible to otitis media.
  • Otitis media in this population is typically linked to impaired eustachian tube function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if breast milk consumption mitigates the incidence of otitis media in infants with cleft palate.
  • To analyze the relationship between feeding method and middle ear effusion status.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of feeding data and middle ear effusion status in 315 infants with cleft palate.
  • Data were collected prospectively and analyzed before surgical interventions or the second birthday.

Main Results:

  • Only 2.7% of formula-fed infants were free from effusion, compared to 32% of those receiving breast milk (P < .0001).
  • Breast milk was often harvested and fed via artificial means.
  • Groups were comparable in baseline characteristics.

Conclusions:

  • Artificially fed breast milk offers significant protection against otitis media in infants with cleft palate.
  • This protective effect likely extends to non-cleft infants.
  • Impaired eustachian tube function is not the sole cause of middle ear effusion in these infants.
Abstract

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