An African Adventure: The difference a cleft lip makes......

Looking at these two lovely babies what immediately jumps out at you? Do you notice the baby on the left or do you instantly gaze at the one on the right? Perhaps the first thing your eye picks up on is that one baby is very malnourished and one appears healthy. Do you notice the stark contrast in size, can you count his little ribs, see his loose skin? From simply looking at this photo can you tell that they are the same age? Can you tell that they are in fact TWINS? Simply looking at this photo can you see how the momma has had to struggle to keep one baby alive while the other is plump, healthy and happy? The reality is this beautiful twin brother and sister have had very different paths. The little girl has gained weight from day one, where the little boy has had to fight for survival. Because he was born with a cleft lip he cannot create the suction that is necessary to breast feed. Babies with this deformity have to have milk hand expressed into their mouth, or be fed using a spoon---either option is not easy. No matter how much the mother wants to give her baby nutrition it is simply not possible. Even with the most determined mother many of these babies die of malnutrition, dehydration, or pneumonia from aspirating milk so frequently. This lively pair were seen at our screening day, and were instantly enrolled in our infant feeding program with our amazing dietician Jess. She works hard with these families. Teaching them proper techniques for feeding, providing them with supplements, and tracking their progress closely over the months getting them to a goal weight leading up to their operations.

Gaining Weight!!! This is a photo of the twins mid-way through their participation in the infant feeding program.

Looking at this same pair they don’t look quite so different--not nearly as shocking. I want you to understand that those beautiful chunky rolls are the representation of insanely hard work and their momma honestly deserves an award. The babies were such a joy to have on the ward, and through this simple surgery “A”’s life will be forever changed. He will continue to gain weight, to live a life without the stigma of having a split lip, and will be given the same opportunities as his twin sister.