Supportive Care

At Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, we care for your whole child. We don’t just treat their medical condition.

More than 50 specialists work together to diagnose and care for children from birth until age 21 and sometimes beyond. Our supportive care experts range from Child Life specialists, to nutritionists, to physical therapists. Your child will get care for their physical, emotional and comfort needs.

Craniofacial Care at Seattle Children's

When it comes to diagnosing and treating craniofacial conditions, our team is among the most experienced in the world. No matter how rare the condition or syndrome, we have cared for someone like your child.

Services We Provide

Building community and connections

• Annual picnic: Each summer, the Craniofacial Center holds a picnic where families can connect with the care team and with other families who have similar experiences. To find out about the next picnic, ask your child’s team.
• Family Advisory Board: The Craniofacial Center Family Advisory Board is a group of 6 to 10 families who volunteer to meet quarterly to share input on ways we can improve the delivery of care and build community for our patients. It’s also a way for you to connect with other families. Learn more about the Family Advisory Board (PDF) or email us to get on the waitlist to join.
• Peer Connection Program: Peer Connection is a program that helps parents, caregivers and adult patients talk to others who are going through a similar medical journey. It is a way to share experiences about diagnoses, treatments or procedures. Learn more about the Peer Connection Program (PDF) (Simplified Chinese) (Somali) (Spanish) (Vietnamese).  

Child Life services

Child Life specialists focus on your child’s emotional and developmental needs. By working directly with your family, we help you regain a sense of control over your medical experience, offer education about medical procedures to ease fears and help your child comfortably process their feelings.

To support comfort, coping and connection, we also connect patients with music, art, gaming, therapeutic play and therapy dog visits.

Our inpatient playroom is available for children who are staying overnight in the hospital and for their siblings to enjoy a medical-free zone. It includes games and activities for youth of all ages. On our inpatient units, play specialists can also support play at the bedside when patients aren’t able to leave their room.

Read more about what the Child Life Department offers.

Emotional and psychological care

Children who have a serious condition or who are getting major treatment may also have mental health concerns. These may be caused by your child’s condition or treatment or by the stress of having a health problem.

Whatever the cause, our team helps your child work through their feelings and emotions and learn coping skills. Your child’s care team will include a social worker and, if needed, a pediatric psychologist. Both are specially trained to help children and teens deal with serious health conditions.

We offer practical information learned from working with many other families. Together with your family, we:

• Help figure out how the condition is affecting your child and family life and provide guidance
• Support you when you are making decisions about your child’s treatment
• Help you and your child prepare for surgery or a hospital stay

Learn more about Social Work and Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Seattle Children’s.

Feeding management and nutrition

Some craniofacial conditions affect how the jaws and mouth work. Children and teens with these conditions sometimes have challenges with eating and growing at a healthy rate.

The Craniofacial Feeding Management team helps solve these problems. From birth through young adulthood, we help your child meet their nutritional needs so they grow and thrive.

Our services include teaching your family new ways to feed your baby and, when needed, using video X-rays to understand what happens when your baby is eating. We help children with cleft lip and palate, small jaws, airway problems and other conditions that affect feeding.

Our team includes craniofacial pediatricians, nurses, infant feeding specialists, dietitians and speech and language pathologists. An infant feeding specialist may be an occupational therapist, a physical therapist or a speech and language pathologist.

Genetic testing and counseling

Some craniofacial conditions are caused by a change (mutation) in a gene or chromosome (the structures in our cells that hold the genes).

At the Craniofacial Genetics Clinic, we:

• Work to diagnose specific genetic conditions
• Help parents understand how the condition is passed on
• Explain the pros and cons of genetic testing
• Talk about how your child’s genetic diagnosis affects their medical issues
• Help you find resources in your community
• Talk to teens and young adults with genetic conditions about the chance of passing the condition on to any children they may have

Pain management

Seattle Children’s is a leader in treating pain in babies, children and teens. We base our recommendations for your child on evidence about what works. We partner with you and your child to prevent and relieve pain as completely as possible.

Managing your child’s pain is critical to their healing. That’s why we use pain medicines made especially for children. We use different types of anesthesia and alternatives like acupuncture when those methods will help your child.

Learn more about Seattle Children’s Pain Medicine Program.

Palliative care

Any family whose child has a serious, possibly life-threatening illness may benefit from working with the Palliative Care Program.

Palliative care helps relieve the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It enhances your child’s quality of life through: 

• Pain and symptom control
• Emotional support
• Better communication

Learn more about the Palliative Care Program at Seattle Children’s.

Physical and occupational therapy

Through play and exercise, our physical therapists help your child build strength, balance and coordination. Physical therapy can also help reduce pain. Our skills and specially sized equipment help us work with patients from the very smallest babies to young adults.

Occupational therapists (OTs) help people learn how to do the tasks of daily life when a health problem affects abilities like eating. Seattle Children’s has the largest group of OTs in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to working with babies, children and teens.

Read more about our physical therapy and occupational therapy services.

Prenatal counseling

Some expectant parents know their baby has a craniofacial condition because an ultrasound during pregnancy shows a cleft lip or other condition. Sometimes, genetic testing during pregnancy shows their baby has a genetic disorder.

Before your baby is born, our prenatal counseling team can talk with you about your baby’s health condition and the care they are likely to need. This can help you prepare for their birth and make informed decisions. Parents find it helps to have accurate, up-to-date information.

Social work

Our social workers help throughout your child’s care. We have skilled counselors who provide support and information about your child’s diagnosis and the impact a craniofacial condition may have on your family.

Along with emotional and psychological care, our social workers can help you connect with other families and find community resources. They also can assist with understanding and using the complex medical system.

Learn more about social work services at Seattle Children’s.

Speech therapy

We regularly check your child’s speech ability and how their language is developing.

Some children with craniofacial conditions like cleft lip and palate have trouble making typical speech sounds. Often, speech therapy helps them develop more typical speech patterns. Our speech experts can find the source of your child’s speech challenge and can connect with your local speech therapists to guide treatment.

Your child’s doctor and speech and language pathologist will work together to recommend what is best for your child.

Find out about Speech and Language Services at Seattle Children’s.

Scheduling an Appointment With the Craniofacial Center

• Contact the Craniofacial Center at 206-987-2208 for an appointment, a second opinion or more information.
• How to schedule an appointment at Seattle Children’s.
• If you already have an appointment, learn more about how to prepare.
• Learn about Craniofacial Center resources such as useful links, videos and recommended reading for you and your family.

Contact Us

Contact the Craniofacial Center at 206-987-2208 for an appointment, a second opinion or more information.

If you live outside of Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, please contact our coordinator for out-of-area patients at 206-987-0814.

Providers, see how to refer a patient.