Impact of breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding on surgical wound dehiscence after cleft lip repair in infants: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND

Immediately after cleft lip repair, breastfeeding and bottle-feeding are generally restricted to avoid placing tension on the surgical incision. However, no consensus about feeding methods after cleft lip repair has been reached. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the impact of breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding on surgical wound dehiscence after cleft lip repair in infants.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Mednar from October to November 2017. Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility for inclusion and checked critical appraisal of the study quality.

RESULTS

Three randomized controlled trials and two cohort studies involving 342 infants were included in this review. Two cases of surgical wound dehiscence occurred in the control group of alternative feeding. In three of five studies, surgical wound dehiscence did not occur in either the intervention or control group within the first week postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

This review showed no increased risk of surgical wound dehiscence in infants with breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding after cleft lip repair compared with infants with alternative feeding methods. It may not be necessary to restrict breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding immediately after cleft lip repair.