July is Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month. Here are the most common myths about this disease that I hear from my patients.
Myth:
Children with clefts and craniofacial anomalies do not require specialty care.
Reality:
Patients born with a birth defect involving the head and neck should be seen soon after birth – either in the hospital at the time of delivery or soon after discharge as an outpatient – by a team of expert clinicians from different specialties. In this type of setting, the clinical team can assess what problems exist and how best to improve them.
Myth:
Clefts of the lip and palate can be repaired all at one time.
Reality:
In general, repair of the cleft lip is performed around three months of age when the child is strong enough and the risk of anesthesia diminished. The palate is performed around one year of age so as not to interfere with growth of the facial bones but delayed past the beginning of speech development. The gum tissue is repaired even later when a little bone is used to fill in the deformity.
Myth:
Children with craniofacial anomalies have difficulty integrating with their peers.
Reality:
Craniofacial syndromes vary widely. Some may have components of mental delay that does affect the child’s integration with their peers. Others however have no cognitive impairment and are limited only by their craniofacial deformities. In both cases, however, there are surgical treatments to improve a patient’s appearance and ultimately their self-esteem and integration into society.
Myth:
Jaw surgery is usually not covered by insurance.
Reality:
Surgery to improve one’s bite or how the teeth come together (“occlusion”) can be covered by many insurance plans if a thorough work-up is performed and rational care plan is devised. Often this involves preoperative photographs and x-rays, as well as dental models, all of which can be done in plastic surgeon’s office.
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Peter J. Taub, MD, FACS, FAAP, is a Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics and Dentistry in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Mount Sinai. As the Director of the Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery Center at Mount Sinai, Dr. Taub is an expert in the care of children and adults with cleft and craniofacial anomalies. Dr. Taub is a member of the American Cleft Palate Association, as well as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons.
To learn more, visit the Cleft & Craniofacial Surgery Center at Mount Sinai website: www.mountsinai.org/cleft