Cooper University Health Care's Regional Cleft-Craniofacial Program is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment program designed to meet the multifaceted needs of the infant, child, adolescent, and young adult with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or craniofacial deformity.
This program was established in 1979 and is a designated cleft-craniofacial center in New Jersey. The program is staffed by an interdisciplinary team of experienced pediatric medical, surgical, dental, psychosocial, speech, and hearing specialists. Cooper specialists work together in a coordinated, family-centered team setting to provide appropriate inpatient and outpatient care. The results of our evaluations and treatment recommendations are communicated to the patient's primary care physician or local health care provider.
The program meets the standards set forth by the American Cleft-Craniofacial Association Commission on Team Approval (ACPA) as an ACPA-approved team and is a designated cleft-craniofacial center for the state of New Jersey. The program receives a grant in aid from NJ Department of Health Division of Family Services.
Payment for services are available on a sliding fee scale basis when needed and coordinated with insurances, including NJ Medicaid and Family Care.
Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Services
- Prenatal counseling for parents whose unborn baby has been diagnosed with cleft lip or palate or other craniofacial condition.
- Consulting and assessment services are available 7 days a week to birthing hospitals in the area, including counseling regarding feeding techniques for infants with cleft of the lip, palate or associated craniofacial conditions.
- Surgical correction of clefts and craniofacial deformities.
- Dental specialty assessments and treatments by pediatric dentists, orthodontists and maxillofacial surgeons.
- Coordination and streamlining of evaluations, surgeries, and other treatments to reduce multiple visits to the center.
Cleft-Craniofacial Specialists
Our professional staff consists of physicians, dentists, and allied health professionals representing numerous medical and dental specialties that include, but are not limited to, the following services:
- Audiology
- Genetics
- Neonatology
- Nursing
- Oral Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthodontics
- Pediatrics
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Pediatric Hand Surgery
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Pediatric Neurology
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
- Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Pediatric Plastic Surgery
- Prosthodontics
- Psychosocial assessments and referrals
- Speech Pathology (including feeding evaluations and therapy)
Adults With Cleft Lip and Palate
Issues related to cleft lip, cleft palate or associated craniofacial condition may extend into adulthood. Adults may have needs regarding facial appearance, deviated septum, palate fistulas, speech, and dental status. In some cases, patients who did not finish their care as children want to pick up where they left off and complete their treatment.
Cooper’s Regional Cleft and Craniofacial Program interdisciplinary team was established to treat children from birth to 21 years of age; however, patients over 21 years of age can be treated by our experienced team members. It is important to continue such care with a specialist experienced in treating patients who have clefts and craniofacial conditions. Call Cooper’s Regional Cleft and Craniofacial Center at 856.722.9110 for a referral for our specialty services.
Contact Us
For more information about the Regional Cleft-Craniofacial Program, please call 856.722.9110 or 888.792.7007.
For newborn referrals or emergencies, please call 856.722.9110. If there is no answer, please call the Cooper University Hospital switchboard at 856.342.2000 and have the on-call person for the cleft palate program paged.