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Examining Milk-Thickening Practices for Infants With Cleft Palate: A Scoping Review.

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Title: Examining Milk-Thickening Practices for Infants With Cleft Palate: A Scoping Review.
Authors: Chee-Williams, Jessica L.1,2 jcheewilliams@phoenixchildrens.com, Cordero, Kelly Nett1,2, Scherer, Nancy J.2, Madhoun, Lauren L.3
Source: American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Dec2025, Vol. 34 Issue 6, p3549-3558. 10p.
Subject Terms: Corn, Research funding, Food additives, CINAHL database, Pierre Robin Syndrome, Milk, Respiratory aspiration, Infant nutrition, Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, Viscosity, Artificial feeding, Cleft lip, Online information services, Cleft palate, Gastroesophageal reflux
Abstract: Purpose: A common intervention to address aspiration and reflux in infants is thickening milk. However, thickening milk may further complicate feeding management for infants with cleft palate using adaptive feeding methods. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and describe the types of milk thickener used for infants with cleft palate (with or without cleft lip) and the feeding modalities through which thickened milk is administered. Method: A comprehensive scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Five databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and EBSCO Open Dissertations, in addition to citation searching. Records were limited to English-language publications with no date restrictions. Both peer-reviewed and gray-literature sources were included. After removing 868 duplicates, 2,282 records were screened by title and abstract. Sixty-four full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Results: One study met the inclusion criteria. Milk thickening was used as an intervention for infants with isolated Pierre Robin sequence and cleft palate. The thickener used was a modified corn-based flour at approximately 3% concentration to achieve a thicker liquid consistency. The thickened milk was offered via a bottle with latex nipples of varying hole sizes (original, intermediate, and 1-mm) depending on the infant's needs. Despite only one study meeting the inclusion criteria by specifying thickener type and/or feeding modality, 11 tutorial and seminar articles that discussed milk thickening as an intervention strategy in this population were identified. However, these articles lacked any information on the type of thickener and feeding modality, and none implemented the intervention with infants. Conclusion: Although milk thickening is described as a strategy in several tutorial and seminar articles, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support milk thickening as a feeding intervention strategy for infants using cleft-adapted feeding methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Examining Milk-Thickening Practices for Infants With Cleft Palate: A Scoping Review.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chee-Williams%2C+Jessica+L%2E%22">Chee-Williams, Jessica L.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo><i> jcheewilliams@phoenixchildrens.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cordero%2C+Kelly+Nett%22">Cordero, Kelly Nett</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Scherer%2C+Nancy+J%2E%22">Scherer, Nancy J.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Madhoun%2C+Lauren+L%2E%22">Madhoun, Lauren L.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22American+Journal+of+Speech-Language+Pathology%22">American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 34 Issue 6, p3549-3558. 10p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Corn%22">Corn</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Food+additives%22">Food additives</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22CINAHL+database%22">CINAHL database</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pierre+Robin+Syndrome%22">Pierre Robin Syndrome</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Milk%22">Milk</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Respiratory+aspiration%22">Respiratory aspiration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infant+nutrition%22">Infant nutrition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Systematic+reviews%22">Systematic reviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22MEDLINE%22">MEDLINE</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Viscosity%22">Viscosity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Artificial+feeding%22">Artificial feeding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cleft+lip%22">Cleft lip</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Online+information+services%22">Online information services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cleft+palate%22">Cleft palate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gastroesophageal+reflux%22">Gastroesophageal reflux</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: A common intervention to address aspiration and reflux in infants is thickening milk. However, thickening milk may further complicate feeding management for infants with cleft palate using adaptive feeding methods. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and describe the types of milk thickener used for infants with cleft palate (with or without cleft lip) and the feeding modalities through which thickened milk is administered. Method: A comprehensive scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Five databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and EBSCO Open Dissertations, in addition to citation searching. Records were limited to English-language publications with no date restrictions. Both peer-reviewed and gray-literature sources were included. After removing 868 duplicates, 2,282 records were screened by title and abstract. Sixty-four full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Results: One study met the inclusion criteria. Milk thickening was used as an intervention for infants with isolated Pierre Robin sequence and cleft palate. The thickener used was a modified corn-based flour at approximately 3% concentration to achieve a thicker liquid consistency. The thickened milk was offered via a bottle with latex nipples of varying hole sizes (original, intermediate, and 1-mm) depending on the infant's needs. Despite only one study meeting the inclusion criteria by specifying thickener type and/or feeding modality, 11 tutorial and seminar articles that discussed milk thickening as an intervention strategy in this population were identified. However, these articles lacked any information on the type of thickener and feeding modality, and none implemented the intervention with infants. Conclusion: Although milk thickening is described as a strategy in several tutorial and seminar articles, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support milk thickening as a feeding intervention strategy for infants using cleft-adapted feeding methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=189224624
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        Value: 10.1044/2025_AJSLP-25-00267
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 3549
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Corn
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Food additives
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: CINAHL database
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pierre Robin Syndrome
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Milk
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Respiratory aspiration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Infant nutrition
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      – SubjectFull: Systematic reviews
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      – SubjectFull: Artificial feeding
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      – SubjectFull: Cleft lip
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      – SubjectFull: Online information services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cleft palate
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      – SubjectFull: Gastroesophageal reflux
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Examining Milk-Thickening Practices for Infants With Cleft Palate: A Scoping Review.
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              Text: Dec2025
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