I want to second Barbara Wilson-Clay's statement that it is the tongue that shapes the palate, and that the bottle nipple is a relatively minor player. I too can tell what the tongue attachment is like from feeling the palate. There is some speculation in the medical journals that cleft palate may be formed by the tongue being misplaced (usually secondary to a very short jaw) and preventing the 3 bony plates that form the palate from closing properly. I'm sure that if this can occur, other changes in tongue position can influence the growth and shape of the palate. Then the muscular action of the tongue continues to spread the palate (or not if the tongue's movement is restricted). We are far from understanding all the intricacies involved, but we can say with confidence that good tongue function is vital for correct palate shape. -- Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC New York City mailto:[log in to unmask] *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html