Craniofacial Services for Children

Pediatric otolaryngologists鈥攅ar, nose, and throat doctors鈥攁t Hassenfeld Children鈥檚 Hospital at 秘密研究所 Langone offer compassionate, family-centered care for children who have craniofacial abnormalities.

Craniofacial conditions, which are typically present at birth, affect the structure and appearance of a child鈥檚 face and skull. They may impair vision, hearing, breathing, speech, and swallowing. Some of these conditions include cleft lip and palate, craniosynostosis, which is when the bones in a baby鈥檚 skull fuse together too early, and microtia, or a small, misshapen, or absent ear.

Our specialists provide you and your child the emotional and social support needed to help navigate the diagnosis and management of craniofacial conditions. We ensure treatment plans reflect the needs and values of your child and family.

Advanced Diagnostic Tools

Our doctors use the following advanced diagnostic tools to provide a thorough evaluation of your child:

  • nasal endoscopy, in which a narrow, flexible tube with a tiny fiber-optic camera on the end is inserted through the nose to view and diagnose cleft palate, deviated septum, or narrowing of the nasal passages
  • otoscopy, in which a special instrument is inserted in the ear to diagnose middle ear infections, which frequently occur in children with craniofacial abnormalities
  • fiberoptic endoscopy, to detect structural abnormalities in the airways
  • hearing assessments, available at our Hearing and Balance Center

Craniofacial abnormalities can cause nasal speech, meaning an overly nasal voice. If that occurs, our doctors may refer your child to our velopharyngeal insufficiency experts for further evaluation.

Team-Based, Personalized Care

Our otolaryngologists use a team-based approach to create your child鈥檚 personalized care plan. We collaborate with specialists in plastic surgery services, oral-maxillofacial surgery, neurosurgery, audiology, genetics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and speech鈥搇anguage pathology to ensure all aspects of your child鈥檚 condition are addressed.

In addition, we establish a partnership with you and your child that empowers you to make treatment decisions. Our doctors may also refer your child to a variety of support services, including psychology and social work, at Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care.