Cleft Lip & Palate and Craniomaxillofacial Treatment

The Cleft Palate and Craniomaxillofacial Clinic at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis is dedicated to meeting the needs of children with cleft lip and palate. Led by board-certified pediatric plastic surgeons from SLUCare Physician Group, our team provides each family who walks through our door with the specialized care and support that transforms lives.

We understand how important it is for your child to feel normal and to be able to function and speak fully. These unique human qualities allow us to interact with each other and reach our full potential.

Working closely with you and your child, our goal is to restore the unique elements of your child’s appearance so that they can speak and function more normally, achieving their best life.

Treating Cleft Lip & Palate

What is a Cleft Lip or Palate?

In the US, approximately 4,440 babies are born with a cleft lip, a condition in which the top lip fails to form completely. As a result, some of these children are also born with a cleft palate, a condition where the muscles in the roof of the mouth fail to form completely. Every year, more than 2,650 babies in the US are born with a cleft palate. If not treated, this condition can lead to speech and hearing problems, ear infections and problems with feeding.

How do we treat Cleft Lip & Palate?

Our pediatric plastic surgeons are trained in cleft lip and palate surgery and can reshape the bones of the face to improve appearance and function. During your child’s reconstruction, we can also repair the cartilage and soft tissues of the face, lips, palate, nose and tongue.

Each child is different and so is their cleft. We are committed to compassionate, precise care through every step of the process, from evaluation, consultation and innovation.

Using the most advanced surgical techniques and care approach, we are able to achieve stunning results while helping your child recover as safely and quickly as possible.

Our surgeons also perform speech surgery to improve palate speech function. Each child is different, and so is their cleft. We are committed to compassionate, precise care through every step of the process, including:

Treating Craniofacial Deformities

SLUCare plastic surgeons are experts in treating complex conditions of the face, including problems with hard tissues (bone and cartilage) and soft tissues (muscles, fat, skin and nerves). Soft tissue procedures include treatment of tumors, growths, injuries, or birth differences that may require reconstruction of eyelids, noses, ears, lips or tongue, to improve form and function.

How do we treat craniofacial deformities?

Craniofacial surgery also includes reshaping of the skull, face, and jaws for function and appearance. Our surgeons offer corrective procedures for craniosynostosis, a birth defect in which part of the skull is fused, restricting growth; orbits (the bones around the eyes) in the wrong position; removal of bone tumors; overbite and underbite requiring jaw surgery; and small jaw problems, such as Pierre Robin sequence or obstructive sleep apnea, that may require jaw expansion to improve breathing, feeding, and speech.

The decision to have pediatric plastic surgery, or to wait for more childhood growth, is done with our team of experts at the Cleft Palate and Craniomaxillofacial Clinic at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

Contact Us

Contact Joy.Baltz@ssmhealth.com with any questions about your child's condition.