Pediatric craniofacial

Team of specialists

Children with craniofacial disorders may have complex problems related to facial appearance, feeding and swallowing, hearing and middle ear infections, speech and breathing, dental and oral-maxillofacial development, and psychosocial development. In babies, craniofacial issues usually appear as a flat or odd-shaped head.

At Atlantic Health, our team of specialists from a variety of disciplines collaborates to identify the multifaceted needs of each patient. Our team includes:

• Pediatric social work
• Pediatric nurse navigator
• Pediatric physical therapy
• Pediatric developmental nurse practitioner

We work together to provide coordinated care for children with craniofacial conditions. We focus on early evaluation and custom treatment to support healthy growth, development and well-being.

Conditions treated

We care for pediatric patients with moderate to severe craniofacial disorders, including:

• Plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome)
• Brachycephaly
• Dolichocephaly
• Torticollis

Pediatric ear disorders

Children with craniofacial conditions are at greater risk for ear and hearing problems, so it’s important to carefully monitor their auditory system from infancy onward. Untreated hearing loss can cause developmental problems related to speech and language, psychological and social skills, and educational performance.

We provide treatment for children and adolescents with a wide range of ear and hearing disorders. These conditions may be caused by otitis, or inflammation or infection of the middle ear, head and ear trauma, and compressed ear wax, among others.

To treat hearing loss caused by chronic ear infections, medical experts at our center will often recommend the surgical insertion of tubes. These small cylinders, which are placed in the ear drum, allow air into the middle ear, thereby draining any accumulated fluid. Speech, balance and sleep problems related to the infection are often resolved and the risk of recurrent infection is reduced.

For children with mixed hearing loss or single-sided deafness, our center offers the Baha® System hearing aid — an implantable medical device that improves hearing through direct bone conduction. This technology uses a digital sound processor worn behind the patient’s ear, which transfers sound vibrations through a connector to the implant.

As an alternative for those patients who won’t benefit from a conventional hearing aid, we offer cochlear implants, which are surgically placed in the inner ear and activated by a device worn externally. Unlike hearing aids, which amplify sound, cochlear implants bypass damaged areas of the auditory system and stimulate the nerve of hearing.