Craniofacial abnormalities are birth defects of the face or head. Some, like cleft lip and palate, are among the most common of all birth defects. Each year, about 4,400 infants in the U.S. are born with a cleft lip (some of these also include cleft palate) and about 2,700 infants are born with a cleft palate alone.

Because most of these abnormalities affect how a child’s face or head looks, it welcomes a unique set of challenges – both medical and emotional. Children with craniofacial abnormalities often struggle with low self-esteem and bullying, especially once they start school.

To address some of these challenges, the Craniofacial Program care team at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach set out to create a meaningful and exciting experience to connect young patients who have craniofacial abnormalities. The result was the first craniofacial patient social event attended by nearly 20 of Miller Children’s craniofacial patients of all ages.

“We wanted to offer our patients a fun space to meet other children with craniofacial differences, while also giving them a chance to discuss unique challenges, hardships and positive aspects of having craniofacial differences,” says Rebecca Cote, speech therapist, Miller Children’s.

Held in the rehabilitation gym at Miller Children’s, the social event was filled with exciting games and activities. Small group discussions based on the child’s developmental stage were facilitated by Miller Children’s speech therapists touching on topics like appearances, handling bullies and dealing with medical procedures and surgeries.

Speech language therapists are essential members of the craniofacial team often assisting with the child’s feeding during infancy and their speech and language development as they grow.

A child born with a craniofacial abnormality frequently requires several different types of care, all of which need to be provided in a coordinated manner over a period of years. Over that time, the extensive multi-disciplinary care team faces each hurdle alongside the family acting as a medical and emotional support system.  

While the patients were busy making new friends, a family group discussion was led by the Craniofacial Program Social Worker, Kay Chun.

“Our parents and caregivers experience a range of emotions from the point of diagnosis and throughout their child’s development,” says Chun. “Their journey requires multiple surgeries and years of treatment, which can take a toll on families. This was a chance for us to reinforce that they’re not alone. Together, we help families thrive.”