ObjectiveTo compare non-nutritive sucking (NNS) and caregiver-reported feeding skills in infants with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) to a control group of typically developing infants without CL/P. To examine differences in NNS patterns and feeding behavior between cleft phenotypes.DesignProspective, cross-sectional study comparing infants born with CL/P to an age-matched control group with no congenital anomalies.SettingUrban, academic, tertiary care children's hospital and academic department of speech-language pathology.Patients, ParticipantsForty-two infants (21 with CL/P
21 without CL/P), 6 months of age and younger were included. Infants with syndromes or who underwent cleft repair were excluded.Main Outcome MeasuresA 5min NNS sample was collected from the infant sucking on the lab's custom research pacifier. The infant's caregiver completed the Neonatal Eating Assessment Tool (NeoEAT) bottle-feeding section about their infant's feeding behaviors.ResultsInfants with CL/P demonstrated slower NNS frequency (