What symptom should be monitored in a child recovering from a cleft palate repair?

In a child recovering from a cleft palate repair, monitoring for difficulty swallowing is crucial. After the surgical procedure, the child's palate and related tissues are healing, which can affect their ability to swallow safely and effectively. Swallowing difficulties may lead to complications such as aspiration or choking, particularly since the child is likely to be on a modified diet during recovery. This symptom reflects the operation's impact on the anatomy and the need for careful dietary management to ensure safe feeding practices as healing progresses.

While fever, excessive saliva production, and ear drainage can also be relevant in the post-operative period, they do not specifically indicate complications associated with the surgical repair of a cleft palate as directly as swallowing difficulties. Fever may suggest an infection, excessive saliva could be a natural response during healing, and ear drainage may indicate a separate issue unrelated to the cleft repair itself. Thus, difficulty swallowing stands out as a more critical symptom in this context that directly relates to the surgical procedure.