Born With a Wide Cleft on Both Sides of His Lip, Baby Logan Couldn’t Drink From a Normal Bottle — Until His Treatment Changed Everything

Before Logan Hatfield was born, his parents, Jenna and Brad, learned that something unusual had appeared during a prenatal ultrasound.

Doctors initially suspected their unborn baby might have a genetic syndrome. The possibility left the family worried about what challenges their son could face.

Further testing at Boston Children’s Hospital ruled out the suspected syndrome but confirmed that Logan would be born with a cleft lip.

When he arrived, the full extent of his condition became clear: Logan had a wide bilateral cleft lip and palate, with openings on both sides of his upper lip extending toward his nose.

A Baby Who Couldn’t Create Enough Suction to Feed

Logan’s condition affected more than the appearance of his face.

Because of the opening in his lip and palate, he could not generate the suction needed to drink normally from a bottle.

For Jenna, feeding her newborn became one of the family’s earliest challenges.

Within days of his birth, Logan began receiving specialized treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital.

His care team provided a feeding bottle equipped with a one-way valve, allowing milk to flow without requiring him to create suction.

A Tiny Device That Required His Mother to Turn a Screw

At approximately three months old, Logan underwent another important stage of treatment.

Dr. Elizabeth Ross, a pediatric dentist, placed a Latham-type orthodontic appliance inside his mouth.

The device was designed to gradually bring the separated gum and palate structures closer together before surgery.

Jenna was taught how to adjust it by periodically turning a small screw.

It was an emotionally and physically demanding period. Logan had to relearn aspects of feeding, and for about a month, his mother fed him using a syringe.

Although the process was difficult, Jenna understood that each adjustment was helping prepare her son for reconstructive surgery.

The Surgery That Repaired His Little Lip

Later in 2019, plastic surgeon Dr. Carolyn Rogers-Vizena performed Logan’s lip reconstruction.

The operation involved repositioning and joining the tissues of his upper lip, including the skin, muscle and inner lining.

The procedure marked an important milestone, although Logan’s treatment journey was not finished.

His medical team anticipated that he would need another operation when he was older, involving bone grafting to address gaps in his gumline.

The Small Moment His Mother Never Forgot

Several months after Logan’s first surgery, Jenna experienced a moment that demonstrated how much progress her little boy had made.

While she was holding a drink, Logan reached toward it and managed to take a few sips through the straw.

For many families, it might have seemed like an ordinary childhood milestone.

For Jenna, who remembered the exhausting months when her baby struggled to feed, it meant much more.

From Feeding Difficulties to a Little Boy With a Big Personality

When Boston Children’s published his story in March 2022, Logan was three years old.

He loved watching The Lion King, wrestling with his older brother Jackson and allowing his sister Adalyn to dress him up.

His mother described him as a child with a wonderfully big personality.

Inspired by her family’s experience, Jenna also began working part-time with Cuddles for Cleft, a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to children undergoing cleft treatment.

Logan’s journey had given her a way to support other parents facing the same uncertainty she once experienced.

Source: Boston Children’s Hospital, March 17, 2022 — Logan Shows Off ‘Big Personality’ While Overcoming Cleft Lip and Palate.