It’s such a little thing. A $3.00 special bottle for infants who are born with cleft lip/palate. Here in the U.S., and throughout the industrialized world, these bottles are sent home with every family that gives birth to a child born with this craniofacial disorder. Unfortunately, these bottles are ONLY available in developed nations. For the thousands of infants born in developing nations and living in orphanages, their chances of survival without this $3.00 nurser, are about 10% or less.
Having a cleft palate prevents an infant from making enough suction in a regular nipple to draw out formula. Special feeding bottles and nipples work by allowing the milk to come out of the nipple with little or no suction needed. Some cleft palate bottles need compression, or squeezing, along with an enlarged opening cut into the nipple to help the infant get enough flow of milk.
Andriana Cassani has now become great advocate for cleft bottles. Her 2nd adoption and 5th son was cleft affected. At two and a half months he weighed 4.5 lb. in China. He was being spoon-fed formula and because of the length of time it took to feed him, and the overworked caretakers, Adriana’s son was near death when he was transferred from his orphanage in Liuzhou to Mother's Love Orphanage in Nanning, Guangxi province. By the grace of God and a caring donation his life was saved. The Guanxi orphanage had a cleft bottle.
Adriana’s is just one story. Orphanages throughout Kazakhstan, Russia, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Ethiopia…everywhere throughout the world….are in desperate need of these inexpensive, but life changing, cleft-bottles. If any orphanage is fortunate enough to have a cleft bottle than the baby NOT only survives but thrives. Cleft bottles are usually brought in by overseas agencies, or parents like your self. If you are traveling to adopt, please consider taking some. Most orphanages have at least on the average 10 or more cleft affected babies. If you have already gone but want to help, considering buying some for your agency to send over with other traveling parents. Be sure to check if they are willing to handle that first, but most should be!
How to Order Cleft Bottles:
Visit the Enfamil website at: http://store.enfamil.com/bottles_and_nursers.html and order 6 bottles for just $19.00: 6 fl oz Cleft Lip/Palate Ready-To-Fill Nurser 6-pack for $19.00
or consider donating an economy size case to your adoption agency. Your agency can distribute them to their traveling clients who are going to different orphanages throughout the world. A case of 72 nursers sells for just $144.
You may also order by phone from Enfamil by calling: Mead Johnson Bottles-800-222-9123
The bottles may be used over and over again….saving the lives of many children. Please help a child today!
