Mom's Milk Matters

Breastfeeding a Baby With Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate

By Gwen Morrison

When a baby is born with a cleft lip, palate or both, there are questions as to whether or not the infant will be able to successfully breastfeed. The baby's ability to nurse will likely be directly related to the degree of malformation. With the help of professionals, each mother should be able to achieve their own idea of success in providing breast milk to their infant.

In order to understand the hurdles that babies face when trying to breastfeed with a cleft lip or a cleft palate, it's important to define them. According to the Cleft Palate Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is "to optimize the quality of life for individuals affected by facial birth defects through education, research support and the facilitation of family-centered care," a cleft lip is a separation of the two sides of the lip. The separation often includes the bones of the upper jaw and/or upper gum. A cleft palate is described as an opening in the roof of the mouth in which the two sides of the palate did not fuse or join together as the unborn baby developed.

Cleft lip and cleft palate can occur on one side (unilateral cleft lip and/or palate) or on both sides (bilateral cleft lip and/or palate). Because the lip and the palate develop separately, it is possible for the child to have a cleft lip, a cleft palate or both.

"Cleft lip and palate are one of the most common birth defects," says Denise Archambault, RN, IBCLC, CCE, from the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. "The biggest difficulty is finding a way to create an effective seal for the baby to transfer and swallow milk appropriately."

Archambault tells mothers that they should put their new baby to breast as soon as possible while the breast is soft. "It gives her an opportunity to practice different positions," she says. "The breast is far more flexible than an artificial nipple."

Often in babies with a cleft lip, a seal can be created by bringing the baby in close and nudging the breast tissue into the cleft, says Archambault.

Amy Mackin, deputy director of the Cleft Palate Foundation, agrees. "Babies with cleft lip only should be able to breastfeed with few, if any, problems," she says. "In fact, breastfeeding can actually be an easier way to feed these babies because the tissue of the breast can help the baby to create a seal more effectively than would be possible with many bottles."

According to Cleft Advocate

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