Cleft & Craniofacial Anomalies Program

About Our Program

Cleft and craniofacial anomalies are conditions that affect a child’s skull and face. Some children are born with these conditions, while others develop symptoms later in childhood. At Riley Children’s, we treat and manage the full range of cleft and craniofacial concerns with a patient and family-centered approach. Some of the conditions we treat include:

• The most common birth defects affecting the face—cleft lip and cleft palate. Cleft lip is a separation of the lip, and cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth. Cleft lip, cleft palate and/or both occur in approximately 1 in 600 newborns in the U.S. each year.
• Head shape abnormalities, such as craniosynostosis, occur when an infant’s skull or facial bones fuse together too early which affects normal growth and development.
• Congenital ear anomalies such as microtia, a rare birth defect where a child’s ear is not properly formed, misshapen or missing. Our microtia care team is the only in Indiana specializing in building new ears for children.
• Syndromes affecting craniofacial form and function, such as 22q Deletion syndrome, Apert syndrome, Goldenhar syndrome, Treacher Collins syndrome, and many other genetic and non-genetic conditions.

As one of the first programs to provide services to children with facial differences, Riley Children’s is among the most experienced in the nation.

• Craniofacial surgeons, neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists do procedures in an ACS-verified Level I Surgery Center. Craniofacial surgeons are plastic surgeons with specialized training in the reconstruction of the face and skull.
• Our program is recognized as an affiliate of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association for our expertise and experience in treating facial differences and has access to resources only available at a nationally ranked health system.
• Team members hold leadership positions with the Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons. All these groups are notable national and international surgical societies focused on improving craniofacial care.
• We also participate in academic research and education, publish clinical outcomes, and deliver lectures regionally, nationally, and internationally.