Christmas Miracle Surgery for Baby with No Jaw Bone and No Parents

December 27, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: News

Pierre Robin Syndrome. Preoperative appearance. Image from medscape.com

Christmas is a time of miracles, and so it was for a two-week-old baby boy born with virtually no jaw bone.

According to the Star-Telegram, baby Don was born with Pierre Robin sequence. This birth defect is characterized by a small lower jaw, a cleft palate and a tongue that balls up in the back of the mouth and causes breathing problems. Babies born with these characteristics face a number of challenges.

The day before Christmas Dr. Sacha Obaid performed a surgical procedure known as mandibular distraction during which a device is attached to Don’s jawbone that will pull apart the bone daily, without causing pain for the baby.

“The small movements over time add up to a huge change, we are literally tricking the body into growing a new jaw,” said Dr. Obaid.

The cause of Pierre Robin is unknown. Baby Don’s mother did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth, and it has been reported that she plans to place the baby for adoption.

Baby Don will be in Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, for about a month. He will have to learn how to eat on his own before he will be approved for release.

The miracle surgery known as mandibular distraction was first pioneered by Dr. Joseph McCarthy approximately ten years ago. Dr. Sacha Obaid studied with Dr. McCarthy, and then brought the surgical technique to North Texas in 2008.

Baby Don had his miracle surgery, and now he needs an even bigger miracle, he needs loving parents. For more information on the search for a family for this baby baby, read Christmas Eve Surgery Set for Infant Without a Chin.

For more information on Pierre Robin Sequence: Pierre Robin Syndrome.