Cleft palate is a separation in the roof of the mouth that occurs when it fails to join, or fuse, as a child is developing before birth. Surgery to correct a cleft palate is usually performed between 9 months and 2 years of age, and may require several stages of repair.
Possible long-term problems include speech problems, crooked teeth, frequent head colds and frequent ear infections.
Show AllBecause of the cleft palate, babies are unable to suck or nurse effectively. Your baby will require special feeding techniques and/or special bottles. Resources are available by calling the Plastic Surgery Office, 513-636-7181, or the Craniofacial Team, 513-636-4539.
Repair of cleft palate (palatoplasty) may be preformed between 9 months and 2 years of age. Palate repair may require several stages of repair.
- In preparation for the palate repair the infant must be off a bottle and pacifier and drinking from a cup only before the surgery will be scheduled. This may require you to wean your baby off of a bottle as early as six months of age.
As your child's palate is healing, it should be protected from injury. It is difficult to tell how much feeling your child has in the repaired palate. The tissue may be numb and without feeling for a period of time after surgery. If this is the case, it is possible for your child to injure the roof of his/her mouth without feeling any pain. You may treat your child as any other child but close supervision is necessary to keep objects out of the mouth.
- Your baby will have elbow restraints for one week after surgery to keep hands away from the surgical site. Restraints need to be removed to exercise the arms. Remove one restraint at a time, on a rotating basis, every hour or so to exercise and massage the arms. Your child must be supervised when the elbow restraint is off.
- You may feed your child formula from a cup only after the operation.
- Baby food should be mixed with fluid in a cup so it is able to be poured. For the first week, do not use a spoon to feed your child. After 1 week, you may then feed with a spoon.
- Make sure food is not too hot.
- Provide fluids from a cup only and do not use straws.
- After the meal, give your child water to help keep the mouth clean of food.
- The child refuses to eat
- The child has a fever
- You have additional issues and would like to speak to a physician
For additional information on this or any Health Topic, please call the Family Resource Center, 513-636-7606, or your pediatrician.
