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How
Do We Feed a Child With a Cleft Palate?
- A child with
a cleft lip only rarely has trouble breast or bottle-feeding.
- A child with
a cleft of the palate (with or without a cleft lip) needs help
extracting milk from the breast or bottle. Our nurse meets with
parents as soon after birth as possible to develop a successful
feeding plan.
- With a cleft
palate, since the roof of the mouth is partially open, the baby
is unable to suck properly which usually makes breastfeeding very
difficult or impossible. It may appear that the infant is not
having any difficulty feeding because the muscles of the lower
jaw and tongue are usually normal. However, it is important to
observe how much milk the baby is actually consuming. Infants
with clefts are at risk for dehydration and malnutrition.
- A large soft
nipple with a crosscut hole and/or a squeezable bottle is usually
recommended to help control and optimize the flow of the milk
into the baby's mouth. For special circumstances, nipples with
one-way valves are recommended (Haberman and Pigeon nipples).
Parents may need to try a variety of nipples and bottles before
finding the one that works best for their infant. It is important
to work closely with the baby's pediatrician with weekly weight
checks. A baby will grow normally if he or she receives a minimum
of 2 ounces of milk each day per pound of baby's weight, as long
as feeding times do not exceed 30 minutes.
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