Final answer:
Infants with mandibular hypoplasia often have difficulty feeding due to the underdeveloped lower jaw. Cleft palate can also cause feeding problems by preventing efficient suckling. These issues, along with respiratory disorders in premature infants, highlight the importance of facial and respiratory development for adequate feeding in infants.
Step-by-step explanation:
Infants born with mandibular hypoplasia often experience difficulty feeding. This is because mandibular hypoplasia, which is an underdevelopment of the lower jaw, may impair the infant's ability to suck and swallow efficiently. Similarly, issues like cleft palate can also make suckling difficult due to a gap in the hard palate, leading to communication between the oral and nasal cavities. In the context of development, the mandible, along with other facial bones such as the maxilla, undergo significant growth and changes during early childhood. Disorders such as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) can arise in premature infants due to insufficient production of pulmonary surfactant by type II cells, leading to difficulty inflating the lungs. Babies with developmental defects impacting the respiratory system may show signs such as difficulty feeding, further emphasizing the challenges faced during feeding in infants with facial abnormalities.