Cincinnati Children's Blog
  • Y&H Podcast
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Y&H Podcast
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
HOME/Rare and Complex Conditions/Preparing for a Baby with a Cleft Lip/Palate

Preparing for a Baby with a Cleft Lip/Palate

Preparing for a Baby with a Cleft Lip/Palate
July 24, 2019
Brian Pan, MD
5 Comments

I would like to start by saying congratulations! Preparing for a newborn baby is an exciting time in any parent’s life. Receiving the news that your baby has a cleft lip/palate can be overwhelming, but preparation up front can be helpful for the early part of your journey.

Because the majority of families first learn of their baby’s diagnosis in utero during a routine ultrasound, the discovery can be shocking for the 70-80 percent of parents who have no family history of the condition. In my opinion, what they need most at this point in time is comfort and reassurance.

Treatment for this condition has advanced significantly over the last couple of decades. With the right team of experts, all of your child’s medical concerns can be treated and addressed successfully. Your baby will live a productive, fulfilling life just as he or she is meant to.

I believe that planning for your baby’s arrival will give you some peace of mind about what lies ahead. Here are a few ways parents can prepare for those first few months with a baby with a cleft lip/palate:

Preparing for birth

Many babies with a cleft lip/palate are unable to drink from a typical bottle, because they are not able to suck. So you’ll want to choose a hospital or birthing center that is prepared for their feeding challenges. They should have bottles like the Haberman bottle or pigeon nipple, which deliver breast milk or formula without the need for sucking. Ask if the hospital’s feeding team has experience teaching newborn babies with a cleft lip/palate how to eat. And assess if they have an overall comfort level in caring for children with facial clefts.

Preparing for feeding

I think it is helpful for mothers to learn before birth that there is a possibility she might not be able to breastfeed. Babies with a cleft lip may only have some difficulty, while babies with cleft palate will probably have difficulty. And if mothers don’t know this ahead of time, they can feel unnecessarily guilty about not being able to breastfeed. A cleft lip makes it difficult for babies to make a good seal around the nipple. And a cleft palate makes it hard for them to suck. As mentioned above, there are certain types of bottles designed to help with this.

Choosing the right team

It’s important to determine ahead of time where you would like your baby to be treated after delivery. I recommend the child’s first appointment with the medical team to happen within a week of giving birth.

When you’re thinking about the right place, it’s key for the surgeon to describe the team environment. Many specialties should be involved: surgery, dentistry, orthodontics, genetics, psychology, and speech/language pathology. You will not need all of these specialties right away. But it is important to choose a place that has them all together. That way, you know they are thinking about your child’s care in a cohesive way. We would be happy to see your child at our center.

Parents often wonder how soon their baby will need corrective surgery. If your baby is healthy and gaining weight appropriately, he or she will typically have surgery for a cleft lip between 3-6 months of age. Repair of cleft palate typically occurs between 9-12 months of age.

Learning everything you can

This sounds like an obvious tip, but I do believe that the more families learn about the condition, the more peace of mind they will have about the future. Some trustworthy resources are the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, and the Cleft Palate Foundation.

The above tips can be helpful for preparing both mentally and physically for the early parts of your journey. You may have a few additional things to think about along the way, but it will be a journey full of snuggles, coos and love, just like any other.

Our team would be happy to treat your child with a cleft lip/palate. More information can be found on our Cleft and Craniofacial Center’s webpage, or call 513-636-4539.

Related Articles

How I Became an Advocate for My Child’s Rare Condition
How I Became an Advocate for My Child’s Rare Condition
Traveling for our Son’s Endoscopic Craniosynostosis Surgery: What We Learned
Traveling for our Son’s Endoscopic Craniosynostosis Surgery: What We Learned
5 Things I Want You To Know About My Daughter with Treacher Collins
5 Things I Want You To Know About My Daughter with Treacher Collins
From Undiagnosed to Bohring-Opitz Syndrome: Finding Our Crew
From Undiagnosed to Bohring-Opitz Syndrome: Finding Our Crew
TAGS:
  • cleft lip and palate
  • craniofacial disorders

About the author: Brian Pan, MD

Brian S. Pan, MD, is director of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Cincinnati Children's. He has years of experience treating children with craniofacial differences, specifically those with cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis, velopharyngeal insufficiency, and micrognathia. His research interests and research grant support are also related to the care of these children.

Write A Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

Leann November 9, 2016 at 5:35 pm

This!

Afnan January 17, 2018 at 4:27 am

Hellow…I am from Bangladesh…My nice is a patient of cleft lip with alveolar cleft of left side…Now she is 2.5 months of age…Will you please help me…Now what can I do….Will u help me for her surgery or anything else…Please help if u can….

    Avatar photo
    Rachel Camper January 17, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    Hi Afnan,

    Please reach out to our International Patient Care Program directly at international@cchmc.org or +1-513-636-3100. There also is more information on our website: https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/visit/international

Liz July 24, 2019 at 9:56 am

The Craniofacial team at CCHMC is fantastic. They have followed my son, Josh, since birth. He’s now 18 and getting close to having jaw surgery. We can’t wait to get that one done. I know the team will take great care of him. They have started some new things like having a panel of kids who have had the jaw surgery speak to kids and their parents who are having it soon. And they offer kids the opportunity to go to Camp About Face with other kids who have facial anomolies. Can’t say enough good things about this team.

WV Henry’s July 30, 2019 at 10:56 pm

Love this article! Dr. Pan is our daughters surgeon. She has Pierre Robin Sequence and had a mandibular distraction at one month and will have palate surgery in the fall. We are so blessed to be followed by this team. Dr. Pan, Tricia, and the Speech therapists are wonderful!

Topics

  • Cancer and Blood Diseases
  • Child Development and Behavior
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Chronic Care Networks
  • Cincinnati Walks for Kids
  • Featured Faces
  • Fetal Conditions
  • Fitness and Nutrition
  • Food Allergies
  • Ghana 2012
  • Health Care Public Policy
  • Health Care Quality
  • Health Care Reform
  • Healthy Living
  • Heart Conditions
  • Hospital Operations
  • Learning and Growing
  • Nurses Week 2012
  • Patient Family Experience
  • Patient Flow
  • Patient Safety
  • Pin of the Week
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Share Your Story
  • Technology
  • The Young & Healthy Podcast
  • Uncategorized
  • Vaccines
  • Volunteerism
  • What's New
See All Topics
See Less Topics

Subscribe

Subscribe today to our family newsletter for tips, blog posts, podcasts and more.

Subscribe Now

Popular Posts

  • 6 Questions to Ask When Your Child Complains of Chest Pain 788 views

  • Lean, Purple Drank, Sizzurp: A Dangerous Teenage Drink 586 views

  • Stuttering In Young Kids: When To Be Concerned 485 views

  • Family Finds Heart Care Needed for Complex Condition 268 views

  • How To Increase Calories In Your Underweight Child’s Diet 259 views

  • Tips for Helping Babies Transition to Cow’s Milk 209 views

About

The Cincinnati Children’s blog features thoughts and perspectives from our experts on all things pediatric health. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn More »

Contact Us
  • 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
  • 1-513-636-4200 | 1-800-344-2462
  • TTY: 1-513-636-4900
  • socialmedia@cchmc.org
Connect With Us
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us

© 2009-2025 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center