Your Experts in Craniofacial & Plastic Surgery

At Gillette Children’s, you’ll have access to leading craniofacial surgeons and neurosurgeons who specialize in complex skull and facial conditions in children. Whether treatment begins in infancy or early childhood, our goal is to improve your child’s physical appearance and promote self-confidence.

Request a consultation appointment today, or give us a call at 651-290-8707 for more information.

The term craniofacial refers to the head and face. A craniofacial surgeon is trained in using plastic surgery to reconstruct areas of the skull and face.

A wide variety of conditions affect the face and skull. Craniofacial specialists or neurosurgeons perform surgery for traumatic injuries, hand deformities, complex wounds and other conditions that affect appearance and abilities. Craniofacial and plastic surgery can benefit people who have:

Conditions Treated with Craniofacial and Plastic Surgery

Head Shape Irregularities in Babies

Why Choose Gillette Children's?

Gillette Children’s is a global beacon of care for patients with brain, bone and movement conditions that start in childhood. Our research, treatment and supportive technologies enable every child to lead a full life defined by their dreams, not their diagnoses. Founded in 1897, Gillette collaborates with patients, families and our partners in clinical leadership, research and advocacy to set the standard of care and opportunity for children with complex medical challenges.

Is Something Not Quite Right About Your Baby’s Head Shape?

Your baby is beautiful. But as the one who spends the most time with your baby, you may have noticed there's something "not quite right" with the shape of their head. Slight imperfections in an infant’s head shape is usually nothing to worry about.

However, in some cases, if left untreated the condition could worsen and might be a sign of something more serious. Compare your child’s head to the pictures below to assess your baby’s head shape.

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• Cleft lip and palate and Velopharyngeal Dysfunction
• Craniofacial anomalies associated with congenital syndromes such as 22q11.2 deletion, Apert, Pfieffer or Treacher-Collins
• Craniosynostosis
• Deformational plagiocephaly
• Facial injuries and trauma
• Hand deformities
• Hemangiomas
• Hemifacial microsomia
• Micrognathia (small mandible)
• Microtia (underdeveloped ear)
• Nevi
• Torticollis

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Normal

Brachycephaly

Brachycephaly (Side)

Coronal

Lambdoid

Metopic

Plagiocephaly

Sagittal

What Causes Irregularities in Baby’s Head Shape?

DEFORMATIONAL PLAGIOCEPHALY

Plagiocephaly is a condition that is caused by external forces on baby’s head – either before or after birth – typically resulting a flat or misshapen head.

CRANIOSYNOSTOSIS

Craniosynostosis is a condition that occurs when the sutures in an infant's skull - soft tissue that holds the separate plates of the skull together – close too early, before the baby’s brain has had a chance to grow.

The CranioCap® is a helmet developed by Gillette to help treat plagiocephaly (also known as flat head syndrome), a condition in which a baby’s head is uneven or misshapen. The CranioCap® was the first orthosis approved by the FDA for treatment of deformational plagiocephaly.

Every cap is custom made based on an in-depth evaluation of your child’s skull. As your child’s brain grows, the skull slowly molds into the open areas of the orthosis, rounding the head over time – usually 4 to 6 months.

What to Expect

*Follow-up appointments may take place at St. Paul, Burnsville, Maple Grove or Minnetonka clinic locations, in addition to outreach sites throughout greater Minnesota.

CranioCap^® Orthosis