When to start weaning?

The usual time to start weaning babies is at about 4 months of age. The exact time will depend on your baby , and it is no different for a baby with a cleft than one without. The texture of the food needs to match your baby's stage of development. Generally start with puree and at 6-9 months mashed foods. Do ask your specialist nurse for help. Delay may cause problems introducing solids later on. As with milk, food may pass into the baby's nose and cause sneezing. This may be distressing at first but is nothing to worry about, just have a bib or some tissues ready to catch the mess! Your baby will soon learn to cope . Finish the meal with a drink to help clear the food from the cleft area.

Food coming down the nose can be resolved by changing the texture of the food. Soft puree - thick puree - mashed food - finger foods.
When introducing a teacher beaker some centres prefer you to use one with a soft spout , others a short spout that does not interfere with the healing of the palate repair. It may be hard for your baby to suck from a non-spill beaker - a small hole drilled in the lid will help.

General Advice

A cleft in the lip may extend into the gum and bone of the jaw where teeth develop. This can lead to some front teeth coming into the mouth twisted and in the wrong position. It is important that your baby grows up with strong teeth as future treatment may be needed to straighten them.. You can do this by limiting sugar, avoiding syrupy drinks, and giving sugar free medicines and vitamin supplements at mealtimes. When weaning your baby try and introduce a varied and balanced diet. Your dentist will advise on the need for fluoride drops. It is dependant on whether fluoride is already added to your water supply