Craniofacial Team

The craniofacial team at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center specializes in providing compassionate care for children with congenital defects of the head and neck and defects acquired from trauma or cancer.

Our multidisciplinary team collaborates to diagnose and treat an array of common and complex disorders in infants, children and adolescents, including:

• Cleft lip and palate
• Cranial and facial asymmetry
• Craniosynostosis
• Microtia
• Nasal and jaw deformities
• Other oral and facial asymmetry and facial abnormalities
• Speech disorders associated with hypernasality and/or velopharyngeal incompetence

Every member of the Craniofacial Team plays an integral role in the comprehensive care each child receives.

Dentists treat dental anomalies and jaw deformities.

Developmental pediatricians consult on the physical implications of patients who have developmental delays and pervasive developmental disorders.

Neurosurgeons perform surgery to treat congenital cranial and spinal disorders, trauma, hydrocephalus, brain and spinal cord tumors and vascular malformations.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform surgical procedures treating the entire craniomaxillofacial area, including the mouth, jaws, face, and skull.

Orthodontists are dental specialists who focus on irregularities of the teeth and jaw.

Otolaryngologists lend expertise on airway disorders, neck masses and abscesses, salivary glands and facial nerve disorders.

Pediatric nurse practitioners specialize in pediatric care and care coordination within the team.

Plastic surgeons perform surgery to treat deformities of the skull, ear, nose, lip, palate, and facial skeleton.

Registered dietitians are food and nutrition experts who develop treatment plans to ensure a child’s continued growth and development.

Speech-language pathologists conduct critical swallow assessments to detect skill deficits in swallowing along with rehabilitative verbal communication functions to patients with mouth or ear deformities.

Social workers support families with coping strategies and resources.