Table 2.

Characterization of studies comparing feeding methods in the preoperative period of surgical repair.

Year Author	LE	n/group	Age range	Cleft type	Methods	Assessed parameters	Results
1999 Shaw	1b	52/49	NB	Lip and/or palate	Rigid bottle vs. squeezable bottle	Weight; length; head circumference.	Squeezable bottle: beneficial effect on weight gain and head circumference.
2011 Ize-Iyamu	1b	38/19	0–14 w	Involving the palate	Syringe vs. cup and spoon	Time of feeding; efficiency (presence of food escape and/or regurgitation); weight gain.	Syringe: higher volume of food and shorter feeding time, less escape and regurgitation and increase in weight gain.
2015 Ravi	3b	50/50/50	2–12 m	Lip and palate	Paladai vs. bottle vs. spoon	Anthropometrics; weight gain pattern.	Mean weight and mean weight gain velocity: paladai > bottle > spoon; paladai: higher number of well-nourished children until the palate repair surgery; however, after surgery and the start of complementary feeding, the nutritional status of the three groups improved.

n, number of subjects or observations; m, months; w, weeks; NB, newborn; LE, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association level of evidence.¹³