Cleft Palate - Home Treatment

Home Treatment

A team of health professionals usually provides you with specific instructions on how to care for your newborn if he or she was born with cleft palate. In general, you need to pay special attention to:

• Feeding. Babies with cleft palate have problems sucking and swallowing, so feeding can be very challenging. Watch for signs of dehydration, which can develop if your baby is not getting enough breast milk or formula. Bottle-feeding is usually more successful than breast-feeding; some mothers use pumped breast milk to bottle-feed their babies. After surgery to repair a cleft palate, sucking often feels different to babies, and they must relearn proper techniques. During the adjustment period, your health professional can recommend strategies to help you make sure your baby gets enough nourishment.
• Infection. After surgery, your baby will be given antibiotic medication for about 5 days to reduce the risk for infection. Look for signs of infection, such as a fever or a decrease in energy level. Make sure your baby drinks adequate fluids, which helps prevent infection and promote healing.

Caring for a child with a birth defect takes a lot of time, extra patience, and energy. It's easy to ignore your own needs as you care for your child. Consider these suggestions for parents of children with cleft palate or cleft lip.

As your child grows, pay attention to:

• Dental care. Children with cleft palate need to establish good dental habits early in life. Talk with your child about the possible need for braces. This may relieve some of your child's fears about permanent problems with uneven teeth. If possible, have a pediatric (children's) dentist take responsibility for the overall dental care of the child with cleft palate.
• Hearing. Babies with cleft palate need to have their hearing tested by the time they are 3 months old. In some cases, babies born with cleft palate need ear tubes surgically inserted to help the middle ear function properly and to restore hearing, reduce pain, and prevent chronic middle ear infections and future hearing problems. Ear tubes are made of hollow plastic and require special care.

Preventing cleft palate

Experts are still trying to find answers about why some babies are born with cleft palate. Although sometimes cleft palate is passed down through families (inherited), in most cases the cause is not known. Research continues on how genes and a mother's health—what she eats and drinks and hazards she is exposed to during pregnancy—can result in the fetus developing cleft palate. For example, a mother who smokes and drinks alcohol during pregnancy may increase the risk that her baby will be born with cleft palate.³

Take good care of yourself before and during pregnancy so that your baby will be as healthy as possible. You can do some things to help prevent your fetus from developing cleft lip or cleft palate, such as taking prenatal vitamins. Also, do not smoke or drink alcohol while you are pregnant.

What to think about

If your child is born with cleft palate, it is normal to have a variety of concerns and feelings, including anger, fear, guilt, depression, or denial. You may find it helpful to talk with your child's doctor or see a counselor. Also, you may find a support group helpful. Support groups help you to interact with other parents who have babies with cleft palate.

Fortunately, cleft palate is correctable with surgery, and scarring is usually minimal. The most difficult period will likely be the first weeks or months before and during surgery. You may wonder how your friends, relatives, other children, and even strangers will react to your baby's appearance. Try to focus on developing a bond with your baby; the rest will fall into place over time.

Talk to your other children about your baby's cleft palate. Emphasize that no one is responsible, that it does not hurt, and that it can be corrected with surgery.

As your child grows, consider explaining how clefts develop. Help your child understand that being born with a cleft palate has been a part of making him or her strong and special. Teach your child how to answer questions about his or her appearance from peers and adults. You can help minimize concerns or self-consciousness by helping your child understand and accept the condition as one of many lifetime experiences.