Bonnie,
I think we see bubble palates because these are the ones having troubles -
tongue doesn't have a good "roof" to milk the lactiferous sinuses against
(sorry to end this with a preposition).

In fact, some of my biggest failures are these - the babies I saw never did
overcome the problem - moms either pumped and fed or gave up.  I suspect if
mom has the right type of breast/nipple that will fill the area and the
right location of sinuses, there may be a "fit".  But in my experience
unless mom is willing to pump long-term or extra so that she has
overwhelming amounts of milk that will come out just with baby's suck and
presence (sometimes I have those strong let-down ladies who could
breastfeed at a distance!), it is a big problem.  I always try, as there
HAVE been a few successes, but my stomach sinks when I get a full-term baby
with a bubble palate.

That said, I have had great luck in getting preemies whose palates seem
inordinately high to lower them by sucking at the breast often while they
are feeder-growers in the NICU.  Perhaps the negative suck is a help.

Now - what is the cause of the bubble palate?  I have asked parents and
found that most babies with high palates were observed in the ultrasound
sucking their thumb.  I wonder if they have pushed it up during uterine
growth.  I have seen some very high palates in parents, too - so it must
also be genetic (I ask parents of babies with high palates or tight
frenulums to let me see their mouths - just curious...).Of course, this is
NOT a scientific study so I don't know how many babies who did suck their
thumbs had no trouble...



Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, IBCLC, LLLL
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Project Director - Proyecto Lacta - Puerto Rico
http://netdial.caribe.net/~prlacta/
Lactancia Materna '98 - La Mejor Inversion