Cleft palate babies may or may not manage to nurse directly at the breast.
It depends on the nature of the cleft.  Very large clefts associated with
cleft lips usually will not be able to suckle directly at the breast.
Surgical repair of clefts is staged and the lip clefts are generally repaired
before the palatal areas.  Obturators may help, but often still do not
provide a truly functional oral cavity for breastfeeding.

However, I would strongly encourage moms of cleft lip/palate babies to
provide EBM for them for as long as possible.  These babies are very prone to
ear infections and are in the hospital a lot for procedures where they can be
exposed to infections.  The EBM significantly helps reduce ear infections and
other infectious illness.

Giving the EBM by whatever means works well for that particular baby in a
loving, attached parenting style also helps with the stress these kids have
with the hospitalizations and procedures they need to undergo.

Linda Shaw MD

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