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Bottle Feeding Strategies for Infants with Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip and Palate
leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/2021-0127-cleft-palate-bottle-feeding/full/
Eating Bubbles!!
Fun! I’m working with an 18 month old with complex GI status. Her Mom reports she won’t drink but will eat bubbles when in the bathtub. The Barista at my hospital coffee cart whipped up frothy coconut milk. She LOVED eating “bubbles”from her fingers and spoon and, at the end, drank the milk that accumulated... Continue Reading →
The Unintended Consequences of the Extended Use of Preemie Flow Rate Bottle Nipples to Support Breastfeeding
There is a popular belief among many healthcare professionals and social media support groups that breast fed full term infants who require bottle supplements should use a preemie flow rate nipple. It sounds logical, with a very slow flow nipple the infant must suck harder to pull the milk from the bottle, thereby, strengthening their... Continue Reading →
Pacifiers don’t suck!
It is common practice to hold off on the introduction of a pacifier until breast feeding is well established, typically 2 to 4 weeks. From 27 weeks gestation sucking calms the parasympathetic nervous sytem by reducing stress hormones that facilitate an infant's capacity for early self regulation. Sucking on a pacifier after feeding can help... Continue Reading →
Compression and suck at breast and bottle-it’s a balancing act
Compression and sucking are equally important for breast and bottle, particularly when “fitted” with a proper bottle to compliment breast when supplementation is needed. Although the breast tissue fills the mouth differently than a bottle nipple the mechanics of the posterior elevation and retraction of the tongue are the same in altering oral pressures in... Continue Reading →
Why is tongue extension/protrusion important when assessing gape in the breast feeding infant?
Newborns and infants can open their mouths naturally (ie yawn, etc) but the presence of the extrusion reflex brings the tongue forward in the infants mouth to facilitate latch. When this reflex occurs the jaw also lowers further to support a nice, wide gape. This is why, when we consider the tongue function in context... Continue Reading →
Feeding Infants with Recessed Jaw or Retrognathia at Breast or with Bottle
Infants with recessed jaw/ retrognathia present with unique feeding challenges and are sometimes misdiagnosed with ankyloglossia or tongue tie. This is of particular concern, because in some cases a frenulectomy is contraindicated. Although the anterior maxillary and mandible alignment is impacted, the primary concern is the tongue sitting posteriorly toward the pharynx. In severe... Continue Reading →
Feeding Speech Paths 