Cleft lip and/or palate is an incomplete closure of the upper lip, upper jaw and/or the palate. Lips, jaws and palate play important roles in breastfeeding: the lips make an airtight seal, the jaws aid in massage and the palate in cooperation with the tongue provided compression of the breast. Massage, pressure and suction together trigger the let-down reflex, urging the milk to flow and the baby to swallow. Without means to seal the mouth airtight around the breast and/or toe massage and compress the breast it may be hard to make and keep the milk flowing. It is often thought (and likewise advised0 that breastfeeding will be hard if at all possible, but some researchers did get other information from their studies. With good guidance and counseling and possibly adapted techniques breastfeeding a cleft child is very well possible. In Thailand Pathumwiwatana et al found that especially mothers who had a demanding job away from their child were not able to continue exclusive breastfeeding. Garcez cs in Brazil found that mothers of a cleft child tended to have a longer exclusive breastfeeding period than the country’s statistics would predict. Mothers need to have themselves informed about the condition of their children and how breastfeeding will fit into that. A skilled lactation consultant can be of great help in finding ways to make breastfeeding work. Full at-breastfeeding will not always be possible, but breastmilk-feeding and non-nutritive breast suckling will always contribute to this special child’s health and well-being.
Pathumwiwatana P, Tongsukho S, Naratippakorn T, Pradubwong S, Chusilp K: The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in infants with complete cleft lip and palate during the first 6 months after childbirth at Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. J Med Assoc Thai. 2010 Oct;93 Suppl 4:S71-7.
Garcez LW, Giugliani ER: Population-based study on the practice of breastfeeding in children born with cleft lip and palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2005 Nov;42(6):687-93.
Pathumwiwatana P, Tongsukho S, Naratippakorn T, Pradubwong S, Chusilp K: The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in infants with complete cleft lip and palate during the first 6 months after childbirth at Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. J Med Assoc Thai. 2010 Oct;93 Suppl 4:S71-7.
Garcez LW, Giugliani ER: Population-based study on the practice of breastfeeding in children born with cleft lip and palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2005 Nov;42(6):687-93.
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