Development of infants and toddlers with clefts from birth to three years of age

Objective: The purpose of this study was to use caregiver report measures to describe the developmental status of infants and toddlers with clefts. Method: Developmental assessment data were obtained on 186 infants and toddlers with cleft lip (n = 48), cleft palate (n = 46), and cleft lip/palate (n = 92) at one of the following age categories: 5 months (n = 47), 13 months (n = 46), 25 months (n = 47), and 36 months (n = 46). Developmental assessment measures used were the Kent Infant Developmental Scale and the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, both caregiver reports. Data were analyzed in separate 2-between ANOVAs (age x cleft type) for each developmental domain according to developmental assessment measure. Further, results were examined relative to the normative sample. Results: The ANOVA results indicated that at 5 months, lower motor and self-help developmental quotients (DQs) were evident compared to the 13-month-old level. When compared to the normative sample, the 5-month-old infants exhibited 'at-risk/delayed' development on the motor, self-help, and cognitive domains, and as reflected on their full-scale scores, depending on the cleft type. Infants at 13 and 25 months were within normal limits in all developmental domains, with the exception of the 13-month-old infants with cleft palate, who demonstrate 'at-risk' development in the motor domain. At 36 months of age, all toddlers demonstrated significantly lower developmental performance in the fine motor, gross motor, and expressive language domain compared to the 25-month-old toddlers. Toddlers with cleft palate exhibit 'at-risk/delayed' development in the expressive language domain at 36 months. Conclusion: Data are discussed relative to the events surrounding team management of clefts, including surgery, middle-ear problems, and feeding difficulty.