Prenatal counseling's effect on rates of neonatal intensive care admission for feeding problems cleft lip/palate infants.

Prenatal counseling and feeding instruction is standard at our institution for parents of cleft lip and palate patients. We studied this intervention's effect on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission solely for feeding. Ten percent (2/20) of patients whose parents received counseling were admitted to the NICU for feeding issues alone compared to 21% (5/24) of the non-counseling group. Prenatal counseling and feeding instruction appears to decrease NICU admission, duration and health care costs.