At UT Physicians, we treat every patient, every case, and every diagnosis with individualized attention. Recognizing National Birth Defects Awareness Month is essential in acknowledging health anomalies and unique diagnoses. With awareness comes better understanding, support, and treatment.
One in every 33 babies is born with a health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Collectively referred to as birth defects, a congenital disorder does not mean an individual is defective.
With a goal of improving the lives of people born with a health condition, UT Physicians is proud to recognize January as National Birth Defects Awareness Month.
Importance of recognition
“This is an opportunity for us to highlight all the children who have a diagnosis, but not an advocacy group specific for them,” said Matthew R. Greives, MD, a pediatric plastic surgeon with UT Physicians, director of the Texas Cleft-Craniofacial Team, and founding director of the Vascular Anomalies Program at UTHealth Houston. “Maybe their case is rare, but it doesn’t mean that they’re not important or they shouldn’t be recognized or celebrated.”
Renowned for complex cases
From well-known anomalies like clubfoot, spina bifida, and cleft lip and palate to rare conditions like encephalocele, CLOVES syndrome, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), UT Physicians has specialists with deep knowledge and vast experience in treating, comforting, and supporting patients and families.
“We owe our best to children with complex birth anomalies. By no fault of their own, they fight life’s most difficult battles, often before they can walk,” said Matthew T. Harting, MD, a pediatric surgeon and director of the Comprehensive Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Program at UT Physicians.
Care before birth
Care can often begin before birth. At the UTHealth Houston Fetal Center, our multidisciplinary specialists can begin treating patients in the womb.
“We help them through the process of having fetal interventions, meaning they have surgeries or treatments while they’re pregnant,” said Jerrie S. Refuerzo, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at UT Physicians and a professor with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “I’m kind of like the link between the fetal world and the newborn world. When we develop a birth plan for these patients, it’s really important to me that I line these up with the requirements of the fetal surgeons and the expectations of the pediatric specialists.”
Comprehensive care
Treating the whole patient means our teams are comprehensive and collaborative, often including neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, pulmonologists, neurologists, urologists, genetic counselors, dentists, and more.
“As a team, we are better,” said Harting, an associate professor and the William J. Devane Distinguished Professor of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School. “We work with some of the most talented and dedicated physicians I have seen.”
Commitment to care at any age
At UT Physicians, turning 18 doesn’t mean you age out of our specialists’ care.
Some congenital disorders can be treated and repaired in a pediatric clinic; others, such as CDH, require lifelong monitoring and specialist care.
“These patients have grown up with pediatric physicians at a pediatric hospital and become adults with a very complex problem,” said Harting. “When these very special patients need care, they don’t fit into a traditional health care box, so we created one for them.”
Choosing our team of specialists means you don’t have to turn anywhere else.
“I recently saw a 65-year-old woman who has a vascular anomaly of her lip, and she’s been living her whole life with the incorrect diagnosis and not getting the treatment she needs,” said Greives, the Dr. Thomas D. Cronin Chair in Plastic Surgery and an associate professor at McGovern Medical School. “Because we see everybody regardless of age, there is an opportunity for us to help everyone.”
What parents should know
If your child was diagnosed with a condition, there is help and support.
“We see you,” said Harting. “There is hope beyond which you can even see.”
“Our goal is for patients to be happy. I want them to look and talk like everyone else by the time they get to school,” said Greives.
Both surgeons have been with UT Physicians for more than a decade, and during that time, they’ve cared for tens of thousands of children, teens, and adults. They’ve comforted families going through unimaginable challenges, championed their patients’ progress, and celebrated their successes.
What patients should know
At UT Physicians, every patient is a person first. Your health is important. No case is too small; no patient is too old, and no diagnosis is too difficult.
“There are many things we know now that we didn’t know five years ago, and there are many things we don’t know yet that we’re going to know in 10 years,” said Greives. “If you come to us for care, you will be part of a team that is plugged into the latest research, medicine, and scientific advances.”
“You can live a remarkable life every day. We are here to help,” said Harting.
