DefinePK

Abstract

Background: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are two of the most prevalent congenital anomalies globally, and identifying feeding and care challenges will only exacerbate these difficulties. Mothers with CLP-affected infants often do not possess enough knowledge and skills to provide optimal care to reduce feeding complications, resulting in escalating nutritional problems, aspiration, regurgitation through the nose, and choking.
Objective: This project aimed to examine the efficacy of a structured educational intervention to influence maternal awareness, feeding practice, and feeding complications in children with CLP.
Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design. In total, 76 mothers with infants diagnosed with CLP were purposively sampled (mothers of infants aged less than 1 year) from Ayesha Bashir Hospital, Gujrat. To establish pre-intervention maternal awareness, feeding practices, and complications, the researchers used structured questionnaires and observational checklists. To address maternal knowledge about optimal feeding practices, an educational intervention was delivered in the form of six sessions of education using informational brochures, handouts, and videos with further information on specialized feeding techniques (e.g., ESSR and Kumagai). A post-intervention assessment was conducted to determine whether changes were demonstrated.
Results: Following the intervention, maternal knowledge went from 59.6% (poor) at baseline to 70.3% (average) in the first follow-up. Feeding practice results were recorded at 58.5% (incompetent) to 69.4% (borderline competent). Difficulties feeding dropped from a mean score of 0.57 to 0.30. The results demonstrate that the educational program successfully improved mothers' knowledge and decreased the difficulties with feeding.
Conclusion: Structured educational strategies have a powerful impact on maternal feeding practices and reduce feeding complications in infants born with a CLP. Ongoing support and follow-up are important to help maintain the benefits of the learning.