What is the best way to feed a new baby with a cleft?
In the initial days feeding may be a challenge. A baby with a cleft may have difficulty making a tight seal around the nipple of a bottle or breast, and the baby with a cleft palate often cannot generate an effective suck. There are special bottles and nipples which help to make the feeding easier. Some mothers planning breast feeding may decide to pump and use a bottle until the surgical repair has taken place. Infants with cleft lip and/or palate may have longer feeding times which can cause them to get tired; they may swallow air with feeding. Sometimes breast milk or formula may come out the nose, but being aware of this you can experiment with positioning and some of the bottles available. There is support available through hospital feeding specialist and from the CSHN nurses on the cleft palate team.
