You are right that different genetic background is seen in different ways geographically. When taking physical anthro classes (undergarduate and grad), we studied such things as heights. Did you know that men tend to beas much as 2" taller in the western US than eastern US? Has to do with migration patterns of certain groups. Clearly, we know that different groups tend to have different blood types, and that some congenital difficulties are related to other elements, as well. So, perhaps the shape of the palate also relates to this. My concern, however, is that we hear so much about this problem in one area, and far less of it from others. If this is a function of training, perhaps the persons trained to look for this sort of thing in a particular way could enlighten the rest of us about what to check, how to check, and WHY such a manner of checking "reveals" this problem that other means of checking would not. Such sharing would mean we could all continue to learn from one another and to expand our understanding of the role of the palatal arch in the infant and maternal nipple tenderness, etc. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% "We are all faced with a series of great %% %% opportunities brilliantly disguised as %% %% impossible situations" - definition of a %% %% lactation consulting service. %% %% Kathleen G. Auerbach, PhD, IBCLC %% %% [log in to unmask] Homewood, Illinois USA %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%