Nutritional needs of cleft lip and palate child

Children with cleft lip and palate often suffer from nutritional deficiencies and subsequent growth problems, both of which are largely attributed to feeding difficulties due to the structural defect as well as the numerous surgical procedures that they undergo. The aim of this review article is to assess the nutritional needs of such children and to emphasize the role of nutrition in their long-term growth and development along with parental education on nutrition and various alternative feeding practices as an important aspect in the management of cleft lip and palate which may otherwise be overlooked. For this review, various articles on cleft lip and palate from plastic surgery to dental surgery journals were studied and more articles were based on subsequent bibliographic reviews of the above. It was concluded that to achieve optimal health in these children, the dietary changes required per day were minuscule. Rather, it is the delivery method of breast milk or formula which often needs to be changed to reduce effort and resultant caloric loss by the newborn, indirectly boosting the caloric intake and resultant weight gain and growth.