Page 2 - Celtlippalate1_FeedingTips

The important skill needed for the babies to feed well is
SUCKING. The baby born with cleft lip/palate has difculty
in sucking milk from the breast or bottle. With some
adjustments to feeding methods and positioning, baby
should be able to get all the benets of the feeding
experience.

Feeding problems in children with
cleft lip/palate

When a baby is born with cleft lip/palate, the baby will have
difculty in sucking milk from the breast or bottle. Children
with only cleft lip might have difculty at rst to latch on to the
nipple. However, Children with cleft palate alone or with both
cleft lip and palate cannot generate adequate suction during
feeding. This creates difculty to breast or bottle feed these
children.

Other challenges
Ÿ Milk coming out of nose
Ÿ Choking
Ÿ Gagging and swallowing

Professionals involved in treatment
of feeding problems in children with
cleft lip and /palate

If child is not nourished enough, surgery of the cleft lip/palate
is delayed due to low weight and lack of nutrients. Hence this
issue in feeding has to be dealt as earliest for timely surgery
which in turn helps in development of speech and language
skills.
Ÿ Paediatrician: Plays an important role in diagnosis and
referral, providing ongoing care, guidance, and acute
care, assuring that all health needs of the child are fully
identied and appropriately met. Also, coordinates with
the team of multi-specialists involved.

Ÿ Prosthodondist: Designs different appliances to cover
the cleft palate (palatal obturator) in order to meet
functional requirements for sucking and chewing.