The birth of a newborn infant is an event of unparalleled excitement and joy for expectant parents. One of the first lasting memories is seeing the face of the new family member. This forever establishes a bond between the nurturer and nurtured. When a child is born with a craniofacial alteration, such as a cleft lip and/or palate, a profound psychological insult is felt. Parents of these newborns, whose physical difference is frequently not detected prior to birth, can be overwhelmed with despair, confusion, guilt and frustration. Such parents wonder if their child will ever look like other "normal" children, if they will have a regular childhood and how their child will eventually function as adults in society.

We understand the challenges that families face and are committed to excellence in comprehensive care for the child born with a craniofacial anomaly. Our Craniofacial and Cleft Lip/Palate Team provides top quality care in the variety of disciplines necessary for complete evaluation and treatment of a child. This encompasses plastic surgery, ear/nose/throat, speech therapy, dentistry/orthodontics, genetics, pediatrics and family counseling specialists at the University of Chicago. The Team treats not only cleft lip and palate anomalies, but the wide range of craniofacial differences, including: atypical facial clefting, craniofacial syndromes, hemifacial microsomia/facial asymmetry, craniofacial tumors and facial palsies. Team meetings are conducted on a bimonthly basis. Surgical procedures, performed by craniofacial fellowship-trained plastic surgeons, take place at the Comer Children’s Hospital, a state-of-the-art facility with pediatric-trained anesthesiologists, nurses and intensive care specialists.

Our craniofacial patients receive additional benefit from our research efforts. To bring life-changing discoveries and therapies to a child with craniofacial differences, research is being conducted on numerous disorders and occurrences during the developmental stage. This is ongoing research in the Bernard Sarnat Craniofacial Development Laboratory, an on-site facility founded by one of our team members.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call us at 773-702-6302. Come and see why the Craniofacial and Cleft Lip/Palate Team at the University of Chicago is at the Forefront of Medicine.