If you’re a mom-to-be, or just had a baby, and you’ve been told that your little one has a high palate, you may be wondering high palate affects breastfeeding.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone! We’ll answer all of your questions about high palates and breastfeeding, like “what does it mean when a baby has a high palate?”, and “how do you breastfeed a baby with a high palate?” We’ll also talk about the possible problems that can occur with high palates, and how they can be treated.
So don’t fret – read on for all the information you need!
What does it mean when a baby has a high palate?
A high arched palate is a condition that affects the roof of the mouth. The palate is the hard, bony tissue that separates the mouth from the nasal cavity.
A high palate refers to a condition in which the roof of the mouth is too high. In babies with a high palate, this tissue extends further back than usual. This can cause problems with breastfeeding since it can make it difficult for babies to latch onto the breast or bottle.
Besides breastfeeding, an appropriate tongue resting posture helps babies develop a good palate shape. When the baby‘s mouth is closed at resting, the tongue fills the space between the teeth and rests lightly suctioning against the roof of the palate.
This tongue posture helps keep the palate’s form. If a baby‘s mouth is open at resting, the tongue tends to be located in the lower jaw and doesn’t help with the shaping of its palate.
A high palate can also cause problems with speech development since it can make it difficult for babies to make certain sounds. However, most babies with a high palate will eventually outgrow this condition and learn to speak normally.
High palate is a common condition, and it’s usually nothing to worry about. However, if you’re concerned about your baby’s high palate, be sure to talk to your doctor.
High palate baby symptoms when breastfeeding
The most common symptom of high palate is a high-pitched cry. Your baby may also have trouble breastfeeding, and may be fussy or refuse to breastfeed altogether. A high arched palate is often associated with babies who have tongue tie, which is a condition that limits the range of motion of their tongues.
If your baby has high palate, you may also notice gagging, difficulty latching, and choking. A high palate can cause problems with breastfeeding, including an inability to latch properly and trouble sucking.
Bottle feeding may also be more difficult for a high palate baby. High palate babies may grow out of the condition, but some may need exercises or treatment to correct the problem.
If you’re breastfeeding a high palate baby, you may notice that they gag or choke more easily than other babies. This is because the high palate can block the airway, making it difficult to breathe and eat at the same time.
High palate babies may also have difficulty latching onto the breast, and may not be able to suck as effectively. This can make breastfeeding more challenging for both you and your baby.
There are a few different breastfeeding positions and exercises that you can do at home to help your high palate baby, and most babies will outgrow the condition by their first birthday. However, some babies may need surgery to correct the problem.
How do you breastfeed a baby with a high palate?
If you’re breastfeeding a baby with a high palate, you may need to use different positions than usual.
Babies with a high arch in their palate tend to easily flick the nipple up into the ‘cavity.’ To properly suckle the baby, you’ll need a lot of breast tissue in the infant’s mouth, which will push the nipple further back.
The best position for breastfeeding a high-palate baby is the cradle hold. In this position, you’ll hold your baby in one arm while supporting their head with your hand. You can also try the side-lying position, which is when you lie on your side and prop your baby up on their side.
Gravity seems to aid in the accumulation of more breast tissue. Leaning over the baby while mom supports her back can sometimes work.
Some moms use a modified football hold to breastfeed their baby. They wrap the baby around their hip, so the baby is facing her side. The lower lip of the baby should be about half an inch below the nipple.
After that, she would place the lower lip over the areola and wait for the baby’s mouth to open wide, then pull the baby close to you by their shoulders to get a deep latch.
Leaning back helps hold the baby against your chest. If you do it right, their head will be slightly extended, and the latch will be uneven, with more breast tissue over their tongue and less under their palate. The more breast the baby has in its mouth, the easier it is for the tongue to press milk out of the breast.
Another thing to keep in mind is that high-palate babies may need to be fed more often since they can’t eat as much at one time.
This means that you may need to breastfeed more often, but for shorter periods of time. This situation usually gets better over time. As the baby matures, he or she may take more breast tissue, which will help him or her latch on better. This problem usually goes away on its own by around 8 to 10 weeks.
Breastfeeding strategies to assist with a high palate baby
- Try different positions: Finding the best position for mother and child is essential. Some moms place their kid next to them, with the chin resting on the underside of the breast.
- Alternate breastfeeding positions: this helps ease nipple soreness.
- Apply Neosporin/Polysporin: After nursing or pumping twice a day, use Neosporin/Polysporin to treat cracked nipples if they are damaged. Clean your breasts with a warm, wet washcloth before nursing or pumping.
- Break the latch: If nursing is causing you pain, release the latch with your finger and reattach. Apply cold compress to nipple after feeding to help reduce inflammation.
Bottle-feeding a baby with a high palate
If you’re bottle-feeding a baby with a high palate, you’ll need to use a different nipple than usual. A high-palate baby will need a longer, narrower nipple in order to latch on correctly.
You can try these special needs bottle feeders and nipples from Amazon.
You may also need to try different positions when bottle-feeding your high-palate baby. The best position for bottle-feeding a high-palate baby is the cradle hold.
In this position, you’ll hold your baby in one arm while supporting their head with your hand. You can also try the side-lying position, which is when you lie on your side and prop your baby up on their side.
What problems can a high palate cause?
If you are breastfeeding a high palate baby, you may notice that they gag or choke more easily than other babies. This is because the high palate can block the airway, making it difficult to breathe and eat at the same time.
High palate babies may also have difficulty latching onto the breast, and may not be able to suck as effectively. This can make breastfeeding more challenging for both you and your baby, and even cause nipple pain. High palate can also cause problems with speech development.
A high palate can cause a number of problems in babies, including:
- Difficulty breastfeeding
- Difficulty crying
- Trouble latching onto a bottle.
- Trouble eating
- Difficulty speaking
- Swollen gums and crowded molars as a child grows
Additionally, a high palate can make it difficult for babies to get the nutrition they need and can also cause them to gag or choke during feedings.
A high narrow mouth palate can sometimes cause children to mouth breath. Mouth breathing does not allow the nose to warm and moisturize the air. This can irritate the tonsils, adenoids, throat, and lungs. This can lead to sleep apnea. However, the underlying cause is mouth breathing and constricted sinuses.
However, most babies with high palate will eventually outgrow this condition and learn to speak normally.
If you’re concerned your baby may have a high palate, be sure to talk to your pediatrician.
Do babies grow out of high palate?
High palates usually improve on their own over time. Most babies with high palates will outgrow the condition by the time they are one year old. However, some babies may need surgery to correct the problem.
If your baby does not outgrow high palate, or if it is severe, your child may have trouble speaking or eating later in life.
If you are concerned about your baby’s high palate, talk to your doctor. They can refer you to a specialist or lactation consultant for further evaluation.
High palate exercises for babies
There are a few exercises that you can do at home to help your high palate baby. These exercises can often benefit babies with a high palate, bubble palate, tongue tie, lip tie, recessed chin, or cleft palate
One exercise is to place a clean finger into your baby’s mouth and push up on the roof of their mouth. This will help stretch out the high palate.
You can also massage your baby’s gums with a clean finger to help stimulate growth.
High palate baby treatment
Most babies with high palates will outgrow the condition by their first birthday. However, some babies may need surgery to correct the problem.
If your baby does not outgrow high palate, or if it is severe, your child may have trouble speaking or eating later in life. If you are concerned about your baby’s high palate, talk to your doctor. They can refer you to a specialist for further evaluation.
Surgery is usually only recommended if the high palate is severe and does not improve on its own.
The surgery is called a palatoplasty, and it involves making an incision in the roof of the mouth to widen the opening. The surgery is usually done when the baby is between six and twelve months of age.
After the surgery, your child will need to be on a soft diet for several weeks to allow their mouth to heal. They may also need to use a feeding tube for a short time.
Most children who have surgery for high palate have a good outcome and are able to eat and speak normally.
Hands-on physical therapies like cranial osteopathy or craniosacral therapy might also be recommended for babies with feeding or sucking difficulties. A Google search reveals anecdotal evidence from pleased parents claiming that this sort of “bodywork” helped their infants’ feeding and general comfort.
Trusted Sources
https://www.meghnadassani.com/why-is-the-shape-of-the-palate-important/
https://www.forestlanepediatrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FAQ-High-palate.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586646/
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