Dr. Brown's Partners with Smile Train to Help Children Across the World with Clefts

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Brown's is proud to announce its partnership with Smile Train, the world's largest cleft charity.

Cleft lips and/or palates are the leading birth defect in many developing countries, affecting an estimated one in every 700 children. Children with untreated clefts can have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Smile Train provides free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children across the world, and has helped children in more than 85 developing countries.

Through the partnership, a portion of proceeds from Dr. Brown's Specialty Feeding System will fund Smile Train's efforts – helping to provide free surgery for 100 children with clefts, giving them not only new smiles, but the opportunity to live healthy lives.

Dr. Brown's Specialty Feeding System was designed in collaboration with medical professionals seeking an oral feeding solution for infants identified with complex feeding challenges, such as those often observed in infants with cleft lips and palates.

"Smile Train is grateful to partner with Dr. Brown's. This partnership further strengthens our common goal to help those in need and will provide many new smiles to children with clefts, and their families, around the world," said Masha Feiguinova, senior director, corporate partnerships, Smile Train.

Dr. Brown's has also donated 400 Specialty Feeding Systems to the New Mexico Cleft Palate Center, a Smile Train partner in New Mexico servicing Native American communities. While Smile Train mainly provides support for cleft programs in the developing world, the cleft treatment needs and challenges faced by the Native American population within the U.S. are very similar to the realities seen in many developing countries.

"With our shared passion for helping all babies receive the care they need, our partnership with Smile Train is the perfect fit," said Sandra J. Aubuchon, vice president, medical division for Dr. Brown's. "We're excited to help children with clefts through our Specialty Feeding System for years to come."

Oral Solutions for Complex Feeding Challenges
Dr. Brown's Specialty Feeding System features an Infant-Paced Feeding Valve, which assists babies in self-regulation during oral feedings.

Since its release, parents and medical professionals have reported that the Dr. Brown's Specialty Feeding System provides infants with a feeding solution that supports functional feeding skill development along with growth and nutrition. Users find that this unique feeding system is the most cost-effective, accessible tool that parents can use to confidently and easily feed their infant.

The Specialty Feeding System is fully reusable, easy to clean (dishwasher safe) and requires minimal assembly.

Dr. Brown's Specialty Feeding System and bottles are available online at Walmart.com, RightStart.com, Amazon.com, Diapers.com and BabiesRUs.com. For more information about Dr. Brown's, visit drbrownsbaby.com/medical and drbrownsbaby.com. Also, find Dr. Brown's on social media at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.

About Dr. Brown's
Dr. Brown's is dedicated to providing thoughtfully designed, thoroughly researched, healthful feeding products for baby. The Dr. Brown's family of baby bottles and bottle accessories, breastfeeding products, pacifiers, teethers, baby care products, cups and solid feeding innovations help ensure happy feeding for the littlest members of the family. Parents voted the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Standard Bottle as the Best Baby Bottle in the 2016 BabyCenter Moms' Picks Awards. In addition, moms have voted for Dr. Brown's bottles as the best bottle in Fit Pregnancy and Baby's Best Awards for 13 straight years. Dr. Brown's products are available at baby specialty, pharmacy and online retailers worldwide. For more information, visit drbrownsbaby.com.

About Smile Train
Smile Train is an international children's charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. Millions of children in developing countries with untreated clefts live in isolation, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Our sustainable model provides training, funding and resources to empower local doctors in 85+ developing countries to provide 100%-free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care in their own communities. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.

SOURCE Dr. Brown’s

Related Links

http://drbrownsbaby.com