Pediatric Plastic Surgery

Prenatal counseling’s effect on rates of neonatal intensive care admission for feeding problems cleft lip/palate infants.

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:11:00 +0000

Dr. Muzaffar has a new publication in Missouri Medicine: Prenatal counseling’s effect on rates of neonatal intensive care admission for feeding problems cleft lip/palate infants.

Blyth family thrilled by baby's progress

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:16:00 +0000

The family of a little girl who suffers from a rare condition are rejoicing after months of treatment proved a success.

Cassidy McConaghy is now living happily with her family after being discharged following treatment for a head anomaly.

The 17-month-old toddler, from Berwick Court, Blyth, suffered from plagiocephaly, which would have left her permanently disfigured if left untreated.

Read the whole story here: http://blyth.journallive.co.uk/2010/07/blyth-family-thrilled-by-babys.html

Doctors create new hands for toddler so he can wave to his dad

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:13:00 +0000

Lee grinned at a sight he had never thought he’d see after the tot was born with his fingers fused together.

But little Finley was given fingers and thumbs for the first time earlier this year during a nine-hour operation to separate his digits.

And with a little help from big sister Lucy, six, Finn mastered the art of a wave to encourage his daddy and pals as they crossed Britain to raise funds to help other families.

Finn was born last year with Apert syndrome, a rare condition affecting one in six-and-a-half million children.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/06/28/doctors-create-new-hands-for-toddler-so-he-can-wave-to-his-dad-115875-22365574/#ixzz0vaFqy276

Bid to give Tyler a head start in development

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:10:00 +0000

AS any new parent will testify, once that little bundle of joy has been put into your arms, you will do anything for him or her, whatever the cost.

Although raising a child is expensive, most of us are not faced with a huge bill beyond our means for much-needed medical treatment for our child.

However, this is the situation facing Leanne Hepworth (24) and her fiancé, Shaun Kemp (25), from New England, Peterborough.

Their son, Tyler Kemp, who is six months old, needed a special helmet to treat his flat-head syndrome, or plagiocephaly, which cost £2,000. Because time is of the essence in order to re-mould Tyler’s head, his parents have already bought the helmet and have been given four months to pay for it.

Read the whole story here: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/features/bid_to_give_tyler_a_head_start_in_development_1_657497

Para-dressage rider Sophie Wells wins top award

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 22:07:00 +0000

A para-dressage rider saw off the challenge of Olympic diver Tom Daley and heptathlete, Jessica Ennis, to win a Sports Performance Award.

Sophie Wells, from Harby, who is on the British Equestrian Federation's World Class Performance Programme, picked up the honour, celebrating outstanding UK achievement, at the inaugural Performance Awards, held in London, last month.

The 20-year-old is a grade IV rider, born with amniotic band syndrome – a condition that caused the lining of the amniotic sac to seperate from the womb before birth – which resulted in her losing some of her fingers and parts of others, leaving her with limited movement in her hands and feet.

Read the whole story here: http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/sport/Para-dressage-rider-Sophie-Wells-wins-award/article-2330463-detail/article.html

'I feel like new!'

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:04:00 +0000

Cynthia has a rare genetic disorder known as Crouzon syndrome, characterized by a premature fusion of the head bones of a developing child. It affects about one in 25,000 newborns.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/feel+like/3148402/story.html#ixzz0vaCtMW6z

Keystone wrestler doesn't let condition hold him back

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:19:00 +0000

At the York Expo Center Saturday, Paul Feite III was just another 10-year-old doing what he loves.

Feite, whose family is from Dillsburg, got hooked on wrestling about five years ago. Saturday, he rode with his father down to the Expo Center to compete in the 68-pound, junior division wrestling competition at the Keystone State Games.

Except there's one thing about Feite that sets him apart from his opponents. Because of a birth defect -- called amniotic band syndrome -- Feite was born without his left hand and most of his left forearm.

Read the whole story here: http://www.ydr.com/sports/ci_15594939

Facial surgery in Mesa marks boy's countdown to normal life

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:59:00 +0000

At 3 feet, 9 inches tall and 49 pounds, Cayden has undergone 13 operations since he was 5 months old. The last one before this week's was in December.

Cayden battles Apert syndrome, a rare genetic disorder - only 1 in 200,000 is born with it - in which the skull and facial bones prematurely fuse together. His face has a concave, sunken appearance, restricting normal facial and skull growth and causing difficulty breathing.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/06/11/20100611mesa-face-surgery-idaho.html#ixzz0vaBpQ2he

Dr. Muzaffar invited to establish the highest levels of treatment protocols for craniosynostosis

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:33:00 +0000

Dr. Muzaffar has been invited to multidiscipline meeting of experts on craniosynostosis on March 4-6, 2010 in Atlanta.

The event, hosted by the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction is funded by a grant from CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

The purpose of the meeting is to develop recommendations for parameters for the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of patients with craniosynostosis. Ultimately, these clinical parameters will be disseminated nationally and internationally and used to develop a reporting instrument that can be utilized to promote quality care and outcome studies to evaluate the care received at different craniofacial centers.

Born without a left hand, Exeter's Josh Alvarado is excelling on and off the mat

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:38:00 +0000

Via the Visalia Times-Delta

Before Josh was even born, still developing in his mother's womb, he battled amniotic band syndrome. Basically, Josh's umbilical cord was wrapped around his left hand, keeping it from fully developing.

The result is an 18-year-old wrestler at Exeter Union High School, in great shape, arms well defined, but with a left hand that ends at about the palm.

Read the whole story

Extra Effort: Tomah teen doesn’t let cleft lip and palate keep her from choir, band

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:44:00 +0000

Via the LaCrosse Tribune

Music has always been an important part of Elizabeth Jensen's life.
The Tomah High School senior has been actively involved in band and choir since she was first given the opportunity in middle school.
"It's almost part of my DNA," Elizabeth said. "I can't imagine doing anything else."
However, playing trumpet and singing with the choir didn't always come easy to Elizabeth.
She was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, a condition in which her palate and lips failed to develop correctly.

Read the full story

Christmas Eve surgery set for infant born without chin [VIDEO]

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:42:00 +0000

Via WFAA TV

Baby Don has Pierre Robin Sequence, a birth defect combination that left him with a cleft palate and a deformity that gives him an almost nonexistent chin. As a result, his tongue can fall back, choking him.

Read the full story

Baby born with virtually no jaw undergoes unique surgery to help bone grow

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:40:00 +0000

Via the Star Telegram

On the day before Christmas, a 2-week-old baby named Don lay on an operating room table as his tiny jaw was broken in three places.

Don was born with Pierre Robin sequence, a birth defect characterized by a small lower jaw, a cleft palate and a tongue that balls up in the back of the mouth and causes breathing problems. Babies with this birth defect face challenges beyond their physical scars.

Read the full story

Born with congenital defect, Perk Valley student is a typical teenager

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:37:00 +0000

Via The Mercury

Kelly Stanton is a typical teenager. She recently applied to college; her top pick is the University of Scranton. She waitresses part time and loves having a driver's license and her own car.

The Perkiomen Valley High School student is like any other 17-year-old, but people don't always look at her that way.

Kelly was born with a congenital defect called Amniotic Band Syndrome. While in utero, fibrous amniotic bands wrapped around her right arm, stunting its growth. Ruthann Stanton didn't know until Kelly was born that her daughter might have it harder than other kids.

Read the full story

Jackie Chan Writes About Operation Smile Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:03:00 +0000

From Look To The Stars:

As reported by Look To The Stars last month, Chan spent an hour assisting in the surgery on Quy Thien Tran, a 6-month-old boy with a primary cleft. It was an experience Chan says will be with him for the rest of his life.

Read the whole story

Classic moments in blink of an eye

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Triplett) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Via Sunshine Coast Daily:

Sport photography is always full of surprises, which is one of the reasons photographers love it so much.

A recent assignment to take a team shot of the Eumundi Dragons before they played seemed simple enough. Line them up, click, all done in the blink of an eye.

Job finished, or so I thought.

It was only then I noticed little Rhys Lloyd leading his team out to the middle of the field holding the ball.

It was not his red hair, nor his beaming smile that caught my eye as the Under 8s shuffled on to the field on this blustery wet day at Caloundra. Rhys had one fully-functional arm.

This I had to see.

Being born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, a rare congenital birth defect believed to be caused by the entrapment of foetal parts in fibrous amniotic bands during pregnancy, clearly didn’t hamper this little champion.

Read the whole story

Rhys Lloyd of Cooroy does not let his disability get in the way of his competitive nature

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:52:00 +0000

It takes him a few seconds, but with a determined frown and a bit of manoeuvring, Rhys Lloyd hooks his left arm over the swing and launches into the air.

This might seem an easy feat for most children, but the difference for six-year-old Rhys is that he has no left hand.

In theory, he should have to work twice as hard to do the things that most people take for granted.

But this little bundle of energy makes it all look relatively simple, effortlessly throwing and catching the football with his father and brother, picking up things from the ground, making sure he doesn’t miss out on anything in his childhood.

Via TheDaily.com.au

Baby's Sleep Position May Not Affect Severity of Head Flattening

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:47:00 +0000

But study finds lower gestational age, being male did have a correlation

"We found a trend toward less flattening in infants who slept prone [face downward], or in positions that were alternated," Dr. Albert Oh, a professor of surgery at the Alpert Medical School at Brown University, said in a Hasbro Children's news release. "Interestingly, however, while supine [on the back] positioning has been a well-established risk factor for the development of plagiocephaly, we were not able to demonstrate a logical correlation to indicate more severe flattening from the supine position."

Via US News & World Report

Humans Cared for “Special-Needs” Kids 500,000 Years Ago, Say Researchers

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:49:00 +0000

The oldest known fossil of a human child with a skull deformity has been discovered, suggesting that early humans did not kill or abandon their abnormal offspring, as has been commonly assumed. A research team reconstructed the 530,000-year-old skull, the first pieces of which were unearthed in Spain in 2001, and determined that the child likely suffered from craniosynostosis, a debilitating genetic disorder in which some pieces of the skull fuse too quickly, causing pressure to build in the brain [Wired] and interfering with brain development. The severity of the deformity is not clear, but researchers say the child probably had learning difficulties and other mental health issues, and certainly would have required extra care.

Via Discover Magazine, Wired

Risk factors for severe head flattening identified

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:41:00 +0000

A number of factors, including gender and favorite head position -- but not sleeping position -- influence the severity of flat head syndrome in infants, researchers found in a study of 434 babies with the condition known medically as deformational plagiocephaly.

Via Reuters

Press Release: Positive effects outweigh negative for families of children with cleft lip and palate

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:08:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Positive effects outweigh negative for families of children with cleft lip and palate

Contrary to previous reports, families who have children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) report more positive than negative experiences, according to a study in The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal.

Most of the previous research on CLP has focused on individuals with CLP and not on their families. In addition, previous work has focused on the negative aspects of having CLP as opposed to the positive. This report applied the resiliency model of family stress, adjustment and adaptation to better understand the effect of CLP, or what the model would call a “life stressor,” on families.

Questionnaires were completed by family members. They were questioned about their views on coping strategies, social support, psychological distress, adjustment and family impact. The results differed from those of other reports. For example, positive adjustment outweighed psychological distress. Levels of social support were much higher, and there was a much greater use of approach-oriented coping strategies, as opposed to avoidance strategies.
Regardless of whether the outcomes reported were positive or negative, they were all dependent on the level of social support. Those who had confidants to speak with, who experienced a sense of belonging through engaging in various activities, and who were able to receive practical and tangible help fared much better than those without this support.
Families whose children were younger and had multiple medical problems experienced a greater impact from CLP. However, contrary to other reports, coping strategies and levels of support were not affected by these conditions. Social support was present regardless of the child’s age.

The results of this study will help researchers develop strategies to assist families with children with CLP. They will also serve to improve the morale of families by showing them ways their lives may be positively affected when faced with this challenging situation.

To read the entire study, “Coping Strategies and Social Support in the Family Impact of Cleft Lip and Palate and Parents’ Adjustment and Psychological Distress,” visithttp://www.allenpress.com/pdf/CPCJ_46.3_final10.15972F08-075.pdf

The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal is an international, interdisciplinary journal reporting on clinical and research activities in cleft lip/palate and other craniofacial anomalies, together with research in related laboratory sciences. It is the Official Publication of the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association (ACPA). For more information, visit http://www.acpa-cpf.org/

Media Contact:
Amy Schneider
Allen Press, Inc.
800/627-0326 ext. 412
Aschneider@allenpress.com

Girl Honored For Creating Smiles

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:51:00 +0000

Recognizing that need and having a cleft palate herself, 11-year-old Paige Atkinson has stepped up in a big way to help and was honored for her efforts Friday at St. John's Lutheran School.

Atkinson has raised more than $50,000 to provide surgeries for over 200 kids in other countries born with cleft lips and palates.

A cause close to Atkinson's heart since she has undergone several surgeries herself to correct her cleft palate

"In America, we are so privileged because if they have a cleft they can get if fixed right away," said Atkinson. "But in Africa or in Asia, sometimes they die or have to go through all their life being shunned because of their mouth. I wanted to be able to help out and give them the same chance we have in America."

Via KERO 23

Pharaoh’s Feminine Figure Explained

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Via Popular Science
Genetic disorders may have caused ruler’s unusual physique

The Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaton’s voluptuous body shape and elongated head and neck, recorded in ancient depictions of the male ruler, have long perplexed historians. But now Irwin Braverman, a professor of dermatology and an expert on visual diagnosis at the Yale University School of Medicine, is offering a theory on the characteristics, which are not found in representations of other pharaohs: Akhenaton may have suffered from two genetic disorders that affect body shape.

Akhenaton, who ruled from 1353 to 1336 B.C., is shown in paintings and statues as having prominent breasts and buttocks—indications, Braverman says, of a hormone disorder. An overproduction of the enzyme aromatase, which is instrumental in the body’s production of the hormone estrogen, is the likely culprit. In males, the disorder results in the development of feminine traits by puberty. Depictions that show Akhenaton’s prepubescent daughters with breasts support the genetic hormone-disorder theory.

Another genetic disease, craniosynostosis, which can result in the joints in the skull fusing too early, could have caused the pharaoh’s elongated head and neck. Egyptologists sometimes refer to the shape, which was common among 18th-dynasty royalty, as “royal head.” Illustrations of Akhenaton’s daughters also show the elongated head, as do mummies of his progeny. One such descendant: child-king Tutankhamen, who some believe may have been Akhenaton’s son. Akhenaton’s mummy has yet to be found, but Braverman hopes that DNA analysis of mummies of the pharaoh’s descendants may one day confirm his theory.

Baby born with 12 fingers, 12 toes, all perfect (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Via ABC KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA

DALY CITY, CA (KGO) -- A baby born with a rare hereditary condition is healthy and home with his parents in Daly City.

Kamani Hubbard was born two weeks ago at St. Luke's Hospital, with an extra finger on each of his hands and an extra toe on each foot, a condition known as polydactyly.

In Kamani's case, all of the digits are perfectly formed and function normally.

There is a history of polydactyly on Kamani's father side of the family, but no relative can remember it happening on both hands and feet.

Prenatal genetic test may cause birth defects

noreply@blogger.com (Pediatric Plastic Surgery) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:46:00 +0000

A type of prenatal test that helps families learn of any serious genetic diseases in a fetus appears to increase the risk of certain birth defects, according to a study published today in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

The test, called chorionic villus sampling, or CVS, is commonly performed in the first trimester of pregnancy. During CVS, a small sample of the placenta is removed to test for genetic diseases. CVS is generally considered safe. The study today, however, analyzes the entire body of research on CVS and suggests that the procedure may increase the rate of blood vessel malformations called hemangiomas. Hemangiomas are common blood vessel malformations that are caused by an abnormal growth of cells linking the blood vessels. They can appear as small birthmarks that sometimes disappear later in life or large malformations that need to be removed.

Via Los Angeles Times