Feeding Babies with Cleft Lip and/or Palate

Babies typically feed at either the breast or from a bottle using a combination of compression and suction. They do this by pushing the nipple against the roof of their mouth while also creating suction to draw the milk out. 

However, when a baby is born with a cleft palate, there is an opening between the mouth and the nose. This makes it challenging for the infant to create suction to breastfeed or drink from standard bottles. This may mean that even if it looks like your baby is sucking and drinking, they might not actually be getting much milk. Therefore, babies born with a cleft palate usually require specialty bottles, feeding techniques, and additional monitoring to help them feed successfully and grow well. 

If your baby has a cleft lip only (without a cleft palate), things are usually a bit easier. Many babies with an isolated cleft lip can feed successfully at the breast or with a regular bottle—sometimes with just a few small adjustments. 

If the professionals you are working with are not familiar with the feeding requirements of a baby born with a cleft lip and/or palate, be sure to contact members of the cleft team so they can help you learn to feed your baby. 

*A note for limited resource settings:
The best feeding, nutrition and growth strategy for children with a cleft is context dependent. What works in the United States may not be the best approach in other settings. Families and providers in low and middle-income countries may not have the same resources as in the USA. ACPA advises that individuals and professionals from low and middle-income countries work together to optimize feeding, nutrition, and growth based on the local context.