Pediatric craniofacial care | Ascension
Mom holding baby at doctors visit.

Get compassionate craniofacial care for your child

Care teams at our children’s hospitals across Ascension sites of care, deliver craniofacial and reconstructive plastic surgery for children.

Craniofacial care for children

Your child’s health and well-being is your priority and ours. We specialize in caring for cleft palate, cleft lip, face and skull abnormalities, and traumatic injuries that affect the jaw, face and skull. Your family is supported every step of the way — from diagnosis through recovery — by our multispecialty care teams. This includes craniofacial surgery, speech therapy and physical therapy. Whether you are taking your child to their first appointment or looking for a second opinion, our doctors listen to you and your child. Then, we work with you to create a personalized care plan that’s right for your child.

Your child’s care team meets with your family to provide a thorough evaluation, review test results and discuss treatment options. If your child has a flat spot on the skull, called positional plagiocephaly, we offer treatment options such as a customized helmet.

Craniofacial and reconstructive surgery treatments

Our pediatric surgeons specialize in advanced surgical treatments, including:

  • Cleft lip and cleft palate surgery
  • Ear reconstruction
  • Intracranial surgery
  • Lip repair and palate closure
  • Nose and jaw reconstruction
  • Pharyngeal flap repair to improve speech
  • Plastic surgery of soft tissues
  • Prosthetics for the face
  • Rib grafts for head and neck reconstruction
  • Orthognathic surgery to correct jaw and face deformities and conditions that may lead to growth concerns, sleep apnea, or TMJ disorders

Care for cleft lip and cleft palate

If your child is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, we are here for your child and your family. At some Ascension sites of care, we have a specialized cleft lip and cleft palate program, to help restore your child’s smile. Your child’s care is led by a craniofacial plastic surgeon. Other specialists on your child’s care team may include a craniofacial orthodontist, specialized dentist, ear nose and throat doctor, speech therapist, pediatric oral surgeon, and a medical geneticist.

Reconstructive plastic surgery

Sometimes, surgery is recommended for your child’s care. And our board-certified plastic surgeons deliver personalized surgical care for children with cleft lip and cleft palate, skin lesions, traumatic soft tissue, bone injuries, tumors, and congenital anomalies.

Get a second opinion on treatment for your child's condition

There’s a lot to think about when your child has a face, jaw or skull condition that needs surgery. Getting a second opinion provides more information about your child’s condition. And, it can help increase your confidence in your child’s care plan. Ask if a virtual visit is an option for your child’s second opinion consultation.

If your child is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or call 911.

Related specialties

Choose Ascension for pediatric craniofacial care