Several types of bottles and nipples are available to help you feed your baby. You may need to try more than one feeding system before finding the best one for you and your baby. Our feeding team will work with you and your family to make sure your baby is feeding well and gaining weight. Show
Examples of Feeding SystemsAssisted Delivery Systems
Infant paced systems
How to Feed Your BabyHere are some tips for feeding:
If you put your baby to bed after the feeding, place the baby on their back. As babies get older, they will need more than just formula or breast milk. Be sure to ask our feeding team about when you can start feeding cereal, fruits and vegetables. If your baby has coughing, gagging, choking, milk running out of the mouth, or signs of distress, like labored breathing or watery eyes, they may be getting too much milk. If you notice these signs, please contact our team for help. You may see that some milk leaks out of the nose during a feeding. This is normal for a child with cleft palate that has not been fixed. It does not mean your child is choking. To help with this, keep your baby more upright during and after feeding. Most infants with cleft palate can feed successfully. When to Call the DoctorCall our feeding team or your child's doctor if your baby has:
You can find more information about feeding on the web site of the Cleft Palate Foundation: www.Cleftline.org. When Your Baby has SurgeryChildren have surgery to repair a cleft palate when they are about 10 to 12 months old. Talk to the cleft palate team about surgery and post-operative feeding. Cleft Palate: Feeding Your Baby (PDF) HH-I-21 8/84, Revised 8/19 Copyright 1984, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Why is an infant born with a cleft palate at risk for nutritional problems?Babies born with a cleft palate, whether with a cleft lip or without, can't breastfeed. That's because they can't create the pressure needed to suck milk from the nipple. Trying to breastfeed or use a regular bottle system to feed a baby with a cleft palate can lead to poor weight gain and failure to thrive.
Which problems are associated with babies born with a cleft palate?Children with a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate or a cleft palate alone often have problems with feeding and speaking clearly and can have ear infections. They also might have hearing problems and problems with their teeth.
Is cleft palate a nutritional deficiency?Deficiency of B vitamins and folic acid in maternal diet is another commonly associated cause of cleft lip and palate in the new born. Parents who are older than usual at the time of birth of their baby are at higher risk of having children with cleft lip and or palate.
Why do children with cleft palate have difficulty with feeding and swallowing?Babies with cleft palate commonly have feeding difficulties. Because the roof of the mouth is not formed completely, babies with cleft abnormalities often have trouble creating enough suction to pull milk from a standard bottle or the breast.
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