Creating a Lifetime of Smiles with Gillette Children's

New mother Delissa Kearney knows what it's like to hear your baby has a health condition before they're even born. At her 20-week ultrasound for her daughter, Kearney knew something was not quite right.

"When I looked at the ultrasound screen, I could see a gap in the mouth area for my daughter, Heavenly. I prepared myself," Kearney recalls.

A doctor confirmed the baby had cleft lip and explained this condition is often paired with a cleft palate.

Cleft lip and palate are not conditions that can be repaired in utero. Cleft lip repair typically occurs when babies are about 3 to 6 months old and usually requires only one reconstructive surgery. Cleft palate repair typically occurs when a baby is 9 to 12 months old.

After a specialty ultrasound confirmed Heavenly had a cleft lip, Kearney was referred to Gillette Children's for a prenatal consultation to talk about Heavenly's condition before birth. During these consultations, the Gillette expert craniofacial team can provide information about treatment options, counseling, and can help plan a course of treatment.

The term craniofacial refers to the head and face. The craniofacial surgeons at Gillette Children's are trained in using plastic surgery to reconstruct areas of the skull and face.

Gillette has one of the largest craniofacial programs in the U.S.

"The main message I'd like to share with parents of children who have craniofacial issues is – you're not alone and we're here to help," says Gillette pediatric craniofacial and plastic surgeon, Martin Lacey, MD.

Gillette Children's has one of the largest craniofacial programs in the U.S. and includes craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, dentists, orthodontists, speech-language pathologists, advanced practice nurse practitioners, audiologists, and other providers who've been carefully selected because of their specialized training.

"Right away the team at Gillette made me feel better," Kearney recalls. "They explained the different bottles I would need to feed Heavenly properly and I appreciated their advice." Kearney adds the Gillette craniofacial team understood her emotions and helped to reassure her.

"Put your trust in these surgeons at Gillette"

Delissa Kearney is pleased with the results from her daughter's surgery with Gillette pediatric craniofacial and plastic surgeon, Jo Barta, MD.

"At first, I really did cry a lot," Kearney admits. "That's because I was worried about what it meant for my daughter, and I was concerned she would eventually face teasing at school. But Dr. Barta and the Gillette team were really helpful," Kearney says.

"I would tell other parents to put your trust in these surgeons at Gillette. They see this all the time and they will help you realize that everything will turn out amazing."

Craniofacial care with a lifelong impact

The extensive Gillette craniofacial team are also experts at caring for children who have craniosynostosis, (when one or more bones of the skull fuses too early), torticollis (a twisted neck that may cause a head tilt), and deformational plagiocephaly (also known as "flat head syndrome").

"We care for a high volume of patients at Gillette and have a very low complication rate," Dr. Lacey says. "Plus, unlike some other hospitals, Gillette has fellowship trained pediatric craniofacial plastic surgeons – meaning our doctors achieved the highest level of knowledge and training in this area."

The Gillette craniofacial team is available for adoption consultations and prenatal consultation. The team can test and evaluate children for hearing issues, nutrition and feeding concerns, and can conduct a nasendoscopy to examine the inside of a child's nose, throat (pharynx) and voice box (larynx).

"What we do in the first year of a child's life has a big impact on the rest of that child's life," Lacey says. "We need to do a great job at the start and then for the next 80 or 90 years our patients can enjoy the benefits."