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Can babies with cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate successfully do baby-led weaning? July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness month and in this episode I’m joined by Vikash K. Modi, MD. Dr. Modi is a Pediatric Otorhinolaryngologist and Co-Director of the Cornell Cleft & Craniofacial Program.

He’s explaining the difference between cleft lip and cleft palate and why cleft lip babies will have no difficulty with baby-led weaning and starting solids. For babies with cleft palates, there may be more challenges but Dr. Modi shares tips for promoting self-feeding success in these babies, even though the transition to solid foods occurs usually when baby is awaiting cleft palate repair surgery.

We also cover drinking for babies with cleft lips and cleft palates and how sippy cup and straw cups are not indicated for cleft palate but why open cup working will work. If you’ve struggled with feeding your baby breastmilk or formula because of cleft anomalies, please know that things WILL get easier when you make the transition to solid foods.

SHOW NOTES

SUMMARY of episode

In this episode Dr. Modi is covering:

• The difference between cleft lip and cleft palate and why cleft lip babies will have no difficulty with BLW

• How cleft palate babies can succeed with BLW leading up to and following surgical repair

• Why open cup drinking is preferred over straw and sippy cup for cleft palate babies

  
  

LINKS from episode

• Dr. Modi’s Weill Cornell Brain & Spine Center bio is here

• More info about the Cornell Cleft & Craniofacial Team is here

• Learn more about National Craniofacial and Cleft Awareness Month (July)

  
  

TRANSCRIPT of episode

WANT MORE BLW INFO?!

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• SIGN UP for Katie’s free online workshop “BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS: How to get your baby to try 100 foods before turning 1 without you having to spoon-feed purees or buy pouches” - everyone on the free workshop gets a copy of the 100 FIRST FOODS LIST so you can focus on trying new foods that your baby CAN and WANTS to self-feed (...and what they can drink too!) Sign up for this week’s workshop times here.