What Are the Best Bottles for Cleft Palate Feeding?
Choosing the right bottle can make feeding much easier. Here is a guide to the best options.
Specialty bottles designed for cleft palate feeding allow babies to feed effectively without needing suction.
The top three specialty bottles:
- 1. Dr. Brown's Specialty Feeding System:
- Designed specifically for cleft palate feeding
- Has a one-way valve that prevents air from entering the bottle
- The nipple has a unique shape that works with the baby's tongue
- The plunger allows the caregiver to control milk flow
- Widely available and recommended by many cleft teams
- 2. Haberman Feeder (Mead Johnson):
- A squeezable bottle with a slit-valve nipple
- Milk flows only when the baby compresses the nipple with tongue or gums
- Does not require suction
- The caregiver can also squeeze the bottle to assist flow
- Comes with a cross-cut nipple that works well for clefts
- 3. Pigeon Bottle:
- Very similar to the Haberman
- Features a cut nipple that releases milk with pressure
- The bottle base is squeezable for assisted feeding
- Popular internationally
- What to look for:
- One-way valve β prevents air intake
- Squeezable bottle β allows caregiver to help with flow
- Long, soft nipple β reaches past the cleft
- Flow control β ability to adjust as the baby grows
Tips
- Request a feeding evaluation from your cleft team
- Try different bottles to see which one your baby prefers
- Use paced feeding (allow breaks) to prevent choking
- Clean the valves carefully (they require special care)
Clinical Guidance
Specialty bottles like Dr. Brown's, Haberman, and Pigeon are designed to feed babies with cleft palate. They compensate for the lack of suction by using one-way valves and squeezable bottles. Your cleft team can help you choose the best option for your baby.