Babies and Children with Cleft Lip and Plate and Opioid Exposure: Overview

What is it about?

The article introduces speech-language pathologists to a new group of babies and children who are appearing in speech therapy clinics. It describes babies whose mothers used opioids during pregnancy and also have a cleft lip and/or palate. Babies are more likely to have a cleft lip and palate when they are exposed to opioids before they are born than babies who are not. As these babies withdraw from drugs after they are born, called Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), they show feeding difficulties. Once these children get to school, many show problems with speech, language, and reading. The article gives practical suggestions for working with this new group of babies and children.

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Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Babies and children with cleft lip and/or palate already have unique feeding, speech, and language challenges and there are therapies that are well-known to help. However, when they also have had NOWS, a new set of difficulties is added and established therapies do not always seem to be as helpful. As well, many have difficult and even traumatic social histories. Their families, and especially their mothers, often face stigma. This makes child- and family-centered practice difficult. This article encourages support of mothers and families and working together with other healthcare professionals. The article gives speech-language pathologists some guidelines for therapy with the babies and children with NOWS and cleft lip and/or palate. However, we still do not know a lot about this new group who need feeding and speech therapy. Speech-language pathologists are encouraged to talk to one another, work together and share information so that we can develop new and effective therapies.

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