Nutritional status assessment in infants, toddlers and preschoolers with cleft lip and/or cleft palate in the admission Assessment Process at the Operation Smile Paraguay Foundation in may 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/CP) are congenital anomalies affecting one in every 700-750 newborns, associated with feeding and breathing difficulties, ear infections and hearing loss, speech disorders, as well as dental and jaw development problems, requiring early multidisciplinary intervention. Objective: To evaluate the nutritional status of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with cleft lip and/or palate during the admission process at the Operation Smile Paraguay Foundation in May 2024. Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative observational study was conducted with 74 patients. Anthropometric variables (weight, height, head circumference) and clinical characteristics were analyzed. The study population included infants and children up to 5 years of age with oral clefts, treated at the Operation Smile Paraguay Foundation. Results: Seventy-four patients were evaluated: with a predominance of 46 (62.2%) males (mean age 15.8 ± 17.1 months) and 42 (56.8%) from rural areas. Complete bilateral cleft lip was the most frequent finding, with 18 (24.3%) cases; 41 (56.0%) had appropriate weight for age and 32 (43.0%) were malnourished. In the 2–5 year age group, 19 (43.0%) had appropriate weight for height and 22 (50.0%) were overweight or obese. The overall prevalence of malnutrition was 34 (46.0%); 47 (63.5%) were not exclusively breastfed and 8 (10.8%) were; 41 (55.4%) received supplements. Conclusion: Anthropometric assessment showed that most children had adequate weight and height indicators, although cases of overweight and obesity were identified in the 2- to 5-year-old age group, in a clinically relevant proportion. These results highlighted the importance of incorporating early nutritional interventions as part of a comprehensive approach. From the age of two, a general trend toward anthropometric values compatible with expected standards for age was observed, which contributed to a more complete characterization of nutritional status at admission, without establishing causal inferences.