Determining feeding practices in children with or without clefts in developing countries

Purpose: Feeding difficulty has been associated with increased deaths in developing countries. The most effective preventive strategy for saving children under five in low-and middle income countries is the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of infancy. Supplemental feeding in developing countries may do more harm than good as there may be a lack of basic essential services that allow the hygienic preparation of formula milks or other types of food and beverages that need water. The purpose of this study is to identify feeding practices of children with clefts specifically in developing countries. Data: De-identified historical data will be extracted from about 1500 records of Operation Smile 2008-2012. The data sites were medical missions from six countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America regions. Methods: This project will analyze the type of liquid fed to the children in the study (breast milk, formula or cow's milk). Method of feeding (cup, spoon or other) and duration of feeding will also be tallied and analyzed. Implications: The project will look into feeding practices in low-and-middle income countries to better strategize feeding interventions and BCC practices that can be implemented first globally (international comparisons) then locally (country-specific).