Specific Conditions

The Craniofacial Center at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is proud to offer a source of hope to those parents whose newborn child has a birth defect such as a cleft palate, misshapen head or facial birthmark. Our team of exceptional craniofacial specialists has helped thousands of children who have been born with birth anomalies or suffered head injuries. We commonly offer cutting edge care for conditions such as:

Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate
Occurring in about one in 600 births, cleft lip and palate are the most commonly seen conditions at the craniofacial center. We also treat isolated cleft palates, which occur without a cleft lip. Each child's treatment is planned carefully, to give the best possible cosmetic result as well as the ebst functional result. Our multidisciplinary team provides special care for the ear problems and speech problems that can accompany more severe cases. Our surgeons have vast experience with z-plasty techniques for cleft palates. We can also offer improved results in many cases where the initial repair performed elsewhere has given disappointing results.  Newborn babies with Robin Sequence may have severe breathing problems, and our craniofacial surgeons can help avoid the need for tracheostomies by utilizing distraction osteogenesis to stretch the lower jaw and thereby make breathing easier. This technique has also been used to enable us to remove tracheostomies sooner. Cleft lips can generally be repaired at the age of two to three months, while cleft palates can generally be mended at eight to nine months.

Crouzon, Apert and Pfeiffer Syndromes, and Craniosynostosis (premature closure of the sutures in the skull) 
Our cutting edge treatment of these congenital disorders benefits from close collaboration between our neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons. Our craniofacial center's pioneering techniques for treating craniosynostosis were instrumental in providing us with the expertise to successfully separate twins conjoined at the head at Montefiore.

Hemangioma/Congenital Vascular Tumor 
Sometimes known as a "strawberry mark," these abnormally dense collections of blood vessels appear in several different ways, most commonly as a red skin lesion. We carefully educate patients and caregivers about the wide range of treatment options for this condition, as some hemangiomas will disappear on their own, while steroids and laser treatments may be used to reduce those located on a child's eyelid.

Microtia 
This condition refers to children born without ears. Our surgeons have improved techniques to construct ears for patients using their own tissue.

Positional plagiocephaly
This flattening of the forehead or back of the head in newborns has grown increasingly common since a link was made between children who sleep on their stomachs and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Because this easily treated condition can lead to more serious problem if it goes undiagnosed, we aim to provide early intervention and the best treatment plan for each child, and rarely needing surgery.

Injuries of the head and face
We offer surgical cosmetic reconstruction to those children who have suffered damage to their head or face through a car accident, fire or other traumatic event.

Central Nerve Deafness 
We work with ENT surgeons to repair inner ear abnormalities, and also have a specialized cochlear implant team to give those children born with impaired cochlear nerves the gift of hearing.

Mary Anne Gallagher, RN, C MA