When a child has a facial difference, the family often worries about the youngster's future and the challenges that lie ahead. A major source of concern for the family is how to identify the many care specialists needed to meet their child's individual needs.
The Craniofacial Center at Nicklaus Children's Hospital is committed to providing the best multidisciplinary care for children and families with craniofacial differences. The center provides treatment for many conditions including cleft lip and palate repair, repair of ear deformities, facial tumors, congenital defects, and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. The treatment complexity for these congenital and acquired anomalies requires a team of specialists. Our comprehensive team includes reconstructive and craniofacial surgeons, otolaryngologists (ENT), geneticists, audiologists, pathologists, orthodontists, and psychologists. These specialists work together to provide patients with comprehensive evaluations to treat and manage conditions while supporting the patient's family throughout their child's developmental stages.
The center's goal is to advance knowledge through education, community service and physician commitment. Through these efforts a family-centered environment and a Center of Excellence for the care of individuals with craniofacial difference is created.
Children's Craniofacial Association
For many years, parents of children with craniofacial anomalies, such as cleft palate or Apert syndrome, have come to Nicklaus Children's Hospital for care at one of the nation's top craniofacial program. Now, with the creation of the Children's Craniofacial Association (CCFA) at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, parents have also found the support they need as well as a tool to increase awareness of the condition.
Following their experience with their son Oliver Louis Stern, who was born with a unilateral lip and cleft palate, Mr. Lyle Stern, Co-Founder and President of CCFA, and Beth Bloom, Co-Founder of CCFA, joined efforts with Dr. Mislen Bauer, Clinical Director of Nicklaus Children's Craniofacial Center, and other parents of children with craniofacial anomalies. In 2002 their efforts resulted in the formation of the CCFA to provide family support, information about craniofacial issues, community education and to raise funds to continuously foster medical innovation to advance patient care and for genetic research through the Nicklaus Children's Hospital Foundation.