The Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Program at Riley Children’s Health features the state’s largest cleft and craniofacial care team in Indiana. Established in 1933, the program was among the first of its kind in the U.S. To this day, the program continues to define the standard of care for cleft and craniofacial anomalies and is dedicated to the treatment of all children with facial differences.
About Our Program
About Our Program
Cleft and craniofacial anomalies are conditions that affect a child’s skull and face. Some children are born with these conditions, while others develop symptoms later in childhood. At Riley Children’s, we treat and manage the full range of cleft and craniofacial concerns with a patient and family-centered approach. Some of the conditions we treat include:
- The most common birth defects affecting the face—cleft lip and cleft palate. Cleft lip is a separation of the lip, and cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth. Cleft lip, cleft palate and/or both occur in approximately 1 in 600 newborns in the U.S. each year.
- Head shape abnormalities, such as craniosynostosis, occur when an infant’s skull or facial bones fuse together too early which affects normal growth and development.
- Congenital ear anomalies such as microtia, a rare birth defect where a child’s ear is not properly formed, misshapen or missing. Our microtia care team is the only in Indiana specializing in building new ears for children.
- Syndromes affecting craniofacial form and function, such as 22q Deletion syndrome, Apert syndrome, Goldenhar syndrome, Treacher Collins syndrome, and many other genetic and non-genetic conditions.
As one of the first programs to provide services to children with facial differences, Riley Children’s is among the most experienced in the nation.
- Craniofacial surgeons, neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists do procedures in an ACS-verified Level I Surgery Center. Craniofacial surgeons are plastic surgeons with specialized training in the reconstruction of the face and skull.
- Our program is recognized as an affiliate of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association for our expertise and experience in treating facial differences and has access to resources only available at a nationally ranked health system.
- Team members hold leadership positions with the Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Craniofacial Surgery and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons. All these groups are notable national and international surgical societies focused on improving craniofacial care.
- We also participate in academic research and education, publish clinical outcomes, and deliver lectures regionally, nationally, and internationally.
What to Expect
What to Expect
Our approach to comprehensive care
Our program makes your child’s visit to Riley Hospital for Children easy. Team members see your child on the same day in the same location, and we work in tandem to develop a treatment plan. Care coordinators are also available to answer any questions your family may have about your child’s treatment plan. Our goal is to develop a personalized plan to improve your child’s health and quality of life.
Community impact
Our program offers Camp About Face for children ages 8-18 born with cleft lip and other craniofacial anomalies. This is a week-long residential summer camp that helps children be themselves, make new friendships and build lasting skills that lead to a lifetime of success. Camp About Face also features Leadership Academy, a program for campers ages 16-18 that focuses on leadership, self-reflection and other skills that will help them transition into adulthood.
Beyond our nationally recognized Camp About Face, our team raises awareness of cleft and craniofacial anomalies in the community by speaking to colleges, nonprofit organizations and other groups.
Conditions & Services
Conditions Treated
Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.
Services Offered
We offer a number of different Cleft & Craniofacial Anomalies Program services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. Support services include clinical nutrition and integrated care management. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our program.
Doctors and
Locations
Doctors
Our care team includes audiology and speech pathology, craniofacial plastic surgery, dentistry, developmental medicine, clinical nutrition, feeding, oral surgery, orthodontics, otolaryngology, social workers, and neurosurgery.
4.7 out of 5 stars
(152 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyNeurosurgery, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spine Surgery
317.944.6201
4.8 out of 5 stars
(127 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyPlastic Surgery
317.944.3636
4.7 out of 5 stars
(75 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyPlastic Surgery
317.944.3636
4.5 out of 5 stars
(141 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyPlastic Surgery
317.944.3636
4.4 out of 5 stars
(155 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyOtolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Pediatric Otolaryngology
317.944.6467
4.8 out of 5 stars
(38 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyDevelopmental - Behavioral Pediatrics
317.944.4846
4.7 out of 5 stars
(41 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyPlastic Surgery - Facial, Plastic Surgery, Pediatrics
317.944.3636
4.6 out of 5 stars
(47 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
Learn About SurveyChild Development
317.944.8167
Locations
Locations
In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.
Riley Pediatric Plastic Surgery
575 Riley Hospital Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Riley Pediatric Neurosurgery
575 Riley Hospital Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Program Forms & Resources
Program Forms & Resources
The Cleft & Craniofacial Anomalies Program at Riley at IU Health provides the following forms for parents, healthcare providers and personnel. We have also curated relevant resources from other websites and provided links with brief descriptions of the information that is available.
Forms
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Your Visit With Us (Riley at IU Health)
This handout answers some of the most common questions we receive from parents and caregivers.
Resources
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American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association
The Cleft Palate Foundation serves patients and families affected by cleft lip and/or cleft palate and other craniofacial conditions.
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Children's Craniofacial Association
This nonprofit shares educational, financial and supportive resources with patients and families.
Related Programs
Related Programs
We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related programs.
Related Departments
Related Departments
We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related departments.
Related Stories
Related Stories
Puppy love: “He has a cleft just like me!”
Riley kid Emmalyn Allgood and her new pup Maverick have matching cleft lips.
Continue readingHealth Professionals
For Health Professionals
We accept patient referrals from all across Indiana and beyond. Our board certified specialists are recognized leaders in clinical care, research and education.
Our current physicians have published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and have presented their work at numerous regional, national and international scientific meetings. Their research interests include evidence-based outcomes, clinical studies and translational research—all of which aim to enhance patient care and safety through improved techniques and technology.
Refer A Patient
Riley at IU Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.
Refer A PatientEducation
Helping to train the next generation of physicians is a key priority. Riley collaborates with the IU School of Medicine to provide training opportunities for medical students and residents pursuing pediatric surgery. We also offer a craniofacial fellowship program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.