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Specialties

Cleft Lip & Palate

Cleft lip or palate is a fairly common birth defect. Cleft lip and palate are congenital deformities that occur when a baby’s mouth doesn’t form properly during pregnancy. A baby can be born with a cleft lip, a cleft palate or both. Cleft lip and palate may cause problems with feeding, speech and socialization.

Cleft Lip

A cleft lip happens when the tissue of the lip does not join completely leaving an opening in the upper lip. A cleft lip can range from a small slit in the lip to an open space extending into the nose.

Cleft Palate

A cleft palate happens when the tissue which makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together. For some babies both the front and back portions of the palate are open.

Cleft lip and palate are most often diagnosed at birth. However, some forms of cleft lip can be seen on prenatal ultrasound. Facial surgery restores complete function with minimal scaring or long-term effects and is usually successfully repaired within the first three months of life.

Neck Masses

Neck masses are swellings that change the shape of the neck. A mass in a child’s neck often causes serious alarm for parents. However, pediatric neck masses are usually benign. Many neck masses have no symptoms. Most are caused by bacterial or viral infection. Pediatric neck masses are categorized as:

  • Congenital
  • Inflammatory
  • Neoplastic

Our team at Pediatric ENT of Oklahoma will start by accurately identifying the location and characteristics of your child’s neck mass, including a full head and neck examination.

Sleep Apnea & Snoring

Sleep Apnea and snoring could be robbing your child of the restful sleep they need to grow and develop. Sleep disorders tend to run in families and are more common in children who are obese, have a small jaw, a large tongue; also children who are exposed to second-hand smoke, or those who have Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is when a child stops breathing frequently or for longer periods during sleep. Another more serious form of Sleep Apnea (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) is caused by an obstruction in the airway. Disrupted sleep is a common in children and can lead to learning and growth problems if left untreated. Children with interrupted sleep may struggle with irritability, difficulty concentrating, hyperactive behavior, bed-wetting or sleep-walking due to a lack of quality sleep.

Snoring

Approximately 10 percent of children snore regularly when they sleep. Snoring is not always indicative of a medical problem, but it certainly can be an indication. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a common cause of childhood snoring. Snoring is also an indication of Sleep Apnea.

Symptoms of pediatric sleep disorder:
• Loud snoring, gasping or choking
• Long pauses in breathing while sleeping
• Excessive nighttime sweating
• Morning headaches
• Daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating

If you suspect your child is having trouble sleeping because of Sleep Apnea or snoring, call Pediatric ENT of Oklahoma to make an appointment with one of our sleep experts.

Speech Problems/VPI

If you are concerned about your child’s speech, the experts at Pediatric ENT of Oklahoma are here to help. We have experience in every field of pediatric voice disorders including hypernasal speech, hyponasal speech, speech delay and hoarseness.

Medical conditions contributing to speech delay:

  • Recurrent ear infections
  • Fluid in the ears
  • Tongue tie
  • Enlarged adenoids
  • Hearing loss

VPI

VPI (Velopharyngeal Insufficiency) is a disorder which comes from the inability to close the gap behind the nose in the soft palate muscle during speech. Children with VPI have difficulty pronouncing strong consonants sounds including: P, B, G, T and D. The poor function of this structure also produces a nasal tone to the voice.

If you believe your child may have a speech problem, it is critical to seek an expert evaluation from the team at Pediatric ENT of Oklahoma for an accurate diagnosis and timely solution.

Vascular Anomalies

Vascular Anomalies are blood vessels, lymphatic vessels or capillaries which have developed abnormally. One in ten children is born with a vascular anomaly. What many parents might consider a birthmark is actually a vascular anomaly. Historically, they have been labeled with descriptive terms according to the food they resemble (port wine, strawberry, cherry, salmon patch). A vascular anomaly will usually be present at birth; although some appear weeks or years later. Vascular anomalies can occur anywhere on the body, but they are most prevalent in the head and neck area.

Types of Vascular Anomalies:

  • Infantile hemangiomas
  • Lymphatic malformations
  • Capillary malformations
  • Venous malformations
  • Arteriovenous malformations
  • Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma
  • Tufted angioma

About half of children with vascular anomalies will require medical treatment or surgery. Make an appointment with one of our experts at Pediatric ENT of Oklahoma to discuss treatment options for your child.