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Cory M. Resnick, MD, DMD, a surgeon in the Boston Children’s Hospital Craniofacial Center, discusses the sequence of events that characterize this condition, illustrates innovative treatment options, and explains why families seeking the very best care for their child come to Boston Children’s.
Caring for children with Robin sequence, also known as "Pierre Robin sequence", requires special expertise.
Robin sequence is a combination of birth defects that usually includes:
- A small lower jaw (mandible)
- A tongue that is positioned further back in the mouth than normal (glossoptosis)
- Breathing difficulty
This combination of features can lead to breathing and feeding problems and sometimes severe breathing problems early in life. As a result, some affected babies have an inability to grow and gain weight at the expected rate. In addition, many children with Robin sequence have an opening in the roof of the mouth (cleft palate). This also affects a child's ability to feed.
Experts describe this condition as a "sequence" because they believe that as the embryo forms in early pregnancy, the underdeveloped lower jaw sets off a sequence of events that causes the other signs and symptoms.
When the lower jaw does not grow properly, the tongue can prevent the palate (roof of the mouth) from closing, resulting in a cleft palate.
The underdeveloped lower jaw also causes the tongue to be positioned at the back of the mouth, causing breathing difficulty at birth.
Learn more about the Cleft and Craniofacial Center: www.bostonchildrens.org/center...