how to feed baby after cleft palate surgery

The following are some suggestions to help feed your baby with cleft palate. Babies with cleft lip only can even breastfeed if you desire.

Cleft Lip And Cleft Palate Symptoms And Causes Mayo Clinic

Sometimes babies will feed from a special TenderCare.

. Observe your infant for a period of sucking followed by a swallow and a brief period of breathing. Maintaining good nutrition both before and after your childs. Feeding a healthy baby with a cleft lip and palate can be more challenging.

During evenings weekends and holidays please call 614 722-2000 and ask for the plastic surgeon on. Cleft Lip No Cleft Palate If the infant has only a cleft lip. Cleft lip repair is surgery to fix a split cleft in your childs lip.

The following are some suggestions to help feed your baby with cleft palate. A baby with a cleft lip andor palate will have some special needs with feeding. Cleft lip and palate infant feeding.

For the first two weeks after surgery give only. This includes yogurt thin cooked cereals puddings ice cream cream soups thin pureed foods or Stage I baby foods. Babies can resume feeding breast bottle feeding on demand following surgery.

With a cleft palate milk can enter the nose during feeds and while breast milk does not irritate the delicate tissue here formula milk can leave deposits which may result in a snuffly baby. To suck a baby must be able to compress a nipple between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. A baby feeds by a combination of two main techniques.

Feeding a baby with cleft lippalate can be a challenge at first. You can reach the helpline at 614 722-6299 Monday through Friday 8 am. Soft foods after the surgery.

After cleft lip surgery. After cleft palate surgery. Generally the restraints will need to be used.

Sucking for children with a cleft palate is difficult because of the poorly formed roof of the mouth. Cleft lip surgery. It is important to talk with the Cleft Palate nurse.

However babies born with a cleft lip and palate or cleft palate only have an opening in the roof of their mouth- between the mouth. We discourage bottle feeding the first 1-2 weeks after repair of the palate. Feeding a Baby with a Cleft Palate.

Their surgeon makes a cut incision along the edges of the cleft lip extending up into their. The most immediate concern for a baby with cleft palate is good nutrition. Do not squeeze the bottle during the swallowing.

After surgery for cleft palate your child needs a balanced diet of non-irritating foods. To feed well babies need to position their lips and tongue around the nipple or artificial teat and create both suction and compression during sucking. Within a few days after surgery most babies will be able to eat the way they were fed before the surgery.

Tips for feeding a baby with a cleft palate. Feeding babies with cleft lips and palate. After surgery your child will have soft arm or elbow restraints on to help prevent them from rubbing or messing with their incision.

It is normal to resume full fluids 2-3 days after surgery. As your baby feeds some milk. Within a few days after surgery most babies will go back to drinking the same amount of liquid that they were drinking before the cleft palate surgery.

This is important to prevent infection and encourage healing. It can be helpful to keep a record of what your baby takes in the first few days at home after surgery. Parents meet with the team to ask questions including any feeding questions.

To be able to generate suction in the mouth the baby needs to be able. Here are some ideas for what and how. We do this to protect the incision inside the mouth.

You will learn together how best to feed your baby. Do not squeeze the bottle during the swallowing or breathing phase. In both cases your baby will be given local anesthesia.

Cleft Palate Repair Instructions After Surgery