Cleft lip, palate and severe obstructive sleep apnea require a multidisciplinary approach to therapy. Children born with cleft lip and/or palate may require multiple procedures in the first few years of life. Our team is designed to guide parents through this process and to offer ongoing support for years to come. The Puget Sound Cleft and Complex Sleep Clinic team is comprised of:

  • Audiology

  • Facial plastic surgery

  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery

  • Pediatric dentistry

  • Pediatric otolaryngology

  • Sleep medicine

  • Speech therapy

  • Pediatric nursing

We provide counseling and treatment from newborns to adults, including the full spectrum of cleft related disorders.
Sleep apnea is a chronic medical condition that significantly affects health and well being. In addition to first-line treatments, children with sleep apnea benefit from close collaboration between medical and dental health professionals.

Partners

Contact us to find out if your child would benefit from a cleft or complex sleep apnea evaluation.

We can help with:

Cleft Lip

A child born with a cleft lip begins evaluation between one and three weeks of age. After listening to your questions and concerns, we provide information about treatment options. During this first visit we evaluate the need for pre-surgical treatment, called naso-alveolar molding, that some children with wide clefts of the lip may need. Primary lip repair usually occurs at three to six months.

Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

Children with difficulty closing the palate against the back of the throat may experience escape of air or fluid through the nose. This is a problem more frequently found in children who have had a cleft palate repair. This issue sometimes hampers speech articulation, leading to frustration and fatigue. Our team will assist your child with the full range of treatments.

Cleft Palate

Cleft palate occurs when the roof of the mouth does not close completely during development, leaving an opening that extends into the nasal cavity. Our clinic provides guidance with management of cleft palate before, during and after repair.  Primary cleft palate repair usually takes place from 9 to 14 months of age.

Complex Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea refers to interruptions in breathing during sleep. Depending upon the severity of sleep apnea, this may negatively impact your child’s health by significantly disrupting behavior, energy, concentration, or performance. For some children, sleep apnea is a simple problem of adenoid and/or tonsil obstruction. Other children are more complex and may benefit from a multidisciplinary approach to sleep apnea that evaluates medical, anatomic, craniofacial and dental components. Regardless of your child’s needs, our team collaborates to tailor a treatment that best fits their needs.