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The Specialists You Will Meet
Soon after your baby is
released from the hospital, you will have an
appointment with the cleft palate team. This team will
normally be recomended by your pediatrician, after your
baby's birth.
Experience has made the medical
world realize that a
multidisciplinary team
is the best way to treat a cleft. However,
all of these specialists can be confusing to a new
parent at first.
The following is a list of each
member of the team and their
functions.
*Special Note
Not all children
will need the services of all these
doctors.
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The Plastic Surgeon
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This is the main doctor on the team. It is also the one that
you will most likely have your first appointment with.
The other doctors will be called in as needed. At your
first appointment your baby's condition will be
evaluated, they will usually take some pictures for
future reference, and the basic plan for the first
surgery will be discussed. Most likely you will be
given a schedule date for the
surgery.
There will normally be
another appointment approximately 1 week before the surgery
to discuss details and have pre-op tests done.
-
The Pediatrician
-
Though some teams have their own pediatrician, most will
simply work closely with yours through
correspondances.
-
The Dentist and/or Orthidontist
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These doctors improve your childs speech and chewing
abilities when older, using braces or dentures(if
needed).
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The Speech & Language Therapist
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They offer early intervention, incase your child shows any problems with speech development as they become older.
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Audiologist
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Also another specialist involved with early intervention, concerning hearing.
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The Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist
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Cleft babies often have numerous middle ear infections and problems that result from these infections.
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The Social Worker
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They can help the
family find services and financial aide.
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The Psychologist
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They can help the immediate family or other relatives and friends
cope with the situation of a cleft. They also offer
services to older cleft children, who may have trouble
dealing with peers.
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The Nurse
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The office nurse can help you with feeding
problems, scheduling, and preparing for surgerys. They are
your liason to the plastic surgeon.
The Genetic Counselor
-
They will try
to determine the cause of the cleft and also determine the
probability of the condition repeating itself in another
birth.
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