Background: Feeding difficulty is one of the earliest and most significant functional challenges encountered in infants with cleft palate. The inability to establish an effective intraoral seal results in impaired sucking, nasal regurgitation, prolonged feeding, inadequate nutritional intake, and poor weight gain. Early prosthetic intervention with a feeding plate can improve feeding efficiency and facilitate nutritional rehabilitation before definitive surgical repair.

Case Presentation: A 14-month-old female infant with repaired bilateral cleft lip and unrepaired bilateral cleft palate presented with persistent feeding difficulty, choking episodes, nasal regurgitation, and poor weight gain. Clinical examination revealed a complete bilateral cleft palate (Veau Class IV) and a tooth-like structure within the right nasal cavity suggestive of a suspected intranasal ectopic tooth. A customised acrylic feeding plate was fabricated using conventional impression techniques and delivered with comprehensive caregiver instructions.

Results: Insertion of the feeding plate resulted in immediate improvement in feeding efficiency, reduced nasal regurgitation, improved swallowing coordination, and progressive nutritional rehabilitation. The appliance served as an effective interim prosthetic aid while the child awaited definitive palatoplasty.