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Growing Up Healthy How Paediatric Plastic Surgery Supports Your Child’s Development

Growing Up Healthy How Paediatric Plastic Surgery Supports Your Child’s Development

Every child deserves the chance to grow up confident, comfortable, and unrestricted by physical challenges. At Offspring Health, we specialise in Paediatric plastic surgery that helps children thrive—whether they need a functional fix, cosmetic improvement, or long-term support after an injury.

From trigger thumbs to otoplasty, congenital birthmarks, burns, and scarring, here’s how our experienced team can help.

Trigger Thumb: When a Small Thumb Needs Big Attention

Trigger thumb is a condition seen in babies and toddlers where the thumb becomes stuck in a bent position or clicks during movement. This happens when a tendon in the thumb can’t move smoothly, often because of tightness or inflammation.

How We Treat It

  • Watch and Wait: Many children improve on their own, especially those diagnosed before 1 year of age.
  • Splinting and Exercises: Stretching and night-time splinting can resolve the condition over time.
  • Surgery: A short outpatient procedure can permanently fix a locked or unresponsive thumb, restoring full movement.

Otoplasty: Reshaping Ears, Restoring Confidence

Children with prominent or misshapen ears may face teasing or self-consciousness, especially in school. Otoplasty, or ear reshaping surgery, offers a permanent, natural-looking solution—usually around ages 4 to 6, when ear cartilage is more stable.

What to Expect

  • A day surgery under general anaesthesia.
  • Hidden scars behind the ears.
  • Quick recovery, with most kids back to normal in two weeks.

Management of Congenital Moles and Birthmarks

Many children are born with birthmarks or develop moles shortly after birth. While often harmless, some lesions need monitoring or treatment—especially if they change in size or appearance, or if they’re located in a sensitive area.

Types We Commonly See

  • Melanocytic naevi (moles)
  • Haemangiomas (vascular birthmarks)

Treatment Options

  • Observation: Many birthmarks require no treatment and some may fade over time.
  • Laser: Useful for helping camouflage lesions, especially vascular malformations.
  • Surgical Removal: Used when moles pose a cancer risk, cause functional problems (like vision obstruction), or are in visible areas.
  • Complex Reconstruction: For larger or deeper lesions, advanced techniques like serial excisions or tissue expansion may be used.

We carefully evaluate each case to balance aesthetics, safety, and your child’s comfort.

Scar Management in Children: Healing Beyond the Wound

Scars are part of healing, but they can affect appearance and movement—especially for active, growing kids. Some children develop hypertrophic or keloid scars, which are raised and more difficult to manage.

Treatment Strategies

At-Home Basics:

  • Sun protection – to prevent permanent discoloration.
  • Moisturiser and Massage – to soften and realign collagen in the scar.

Non-Surgical Options:

  • Silicone sheets or gels – reduce thickness and redness.
  • Pressure garments – especially helpful for burn scars.
  • Steroid injections – for keloids or prominent scars.

Surgical Revision:

When scars affect function or self-esteem, surgical removal or rearrangement may be needed. Techniques like scar revision, tissue expansion, or flaps (skin-rearrangement) are tailored to each child’s needs.

Treating Burns: From Emergency Care to Recovery

Burns in children are unfortunately common—often caused by hot water, food, or heated surfaces. Prompt, proper care can reduce complications and long-term scarring.

First Aid Steps

  1. Cool the burn with running water for 20 minutes (within the first 4 hours).  In small children with large burns, care must be taken to ensure the child does not get cold.
  2. Avoid ice or home remedies (like butter or toothpaste).
  3. Cover lightly with cling film and seek emergency care for large or blistering burns.

Understanding Burn Severity

  • Epidermal (surface) burns: Red, painful, no blisters—usually heal without intervention.
  • Dermal (deeper) burns: Often blistered, need dressing or sometimes surgery.
  • Full thickness burns: Affect all skin layers—require surgical treatment and long-term care.

Ongoing Burn Care

Burns may be treated with:

  • Silver-based dressings to prevent infection.
  • Skin grafts for deeper wounds.
  • Scar therapy post-healing, including silicone dressings, pressure garments, or splints.

For smaller burns or scar follow-up, Offspring Health offers tailored treatments to help kids regain function and confidence after a burn injury.

Why Choose Offspring Health?

At Offspring Health, we don’t just treat conditions—we care for children and families. Our Paediatric plastic surgery team is specially trained to work with kids of all ages, offering compassionate, expert care tailored to each child’s needs and developmental stage.

Whether you’re navigating a new diagnosis or seeking long-term scar management, we’re here to help your child heal beautifully and confidently.

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    Social and emotional functioning refers to a child’s ability to understand, express, and manage their emotions, as well as to interact effectively with others. These skills are fundamental for building positive relationships, developing empathy, and coping with the everyday challenges of growing up.

    Children who experience difficulties in social and emotional functioning may struggle with recognizing their own feelings or those of others, regulating emotional responses, or responding appropriately in social situations. This can lead to challenges such as anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulty making friends, or misunderstandings with peers and adults.

    In the school environment, social and emotional difficulties can impact a child’s engagement, cooperation, and overall learning experience. Emotional distress may manifest as withdrawal, irritability, or disruptive behaviour, which can further affect academic progress and peer relationships.

    Assessment of social and emotional functioning as part of a neuropsychological evaluation typically includes behavioural observations, standardized rating scales, and information gathered from parents, teachers, and sometimes the child. This comprehensive approach helps identify strengths and areas for support in emotional regulation, social skills, and adaptive behaviours.

    Understanding a child’s social-emotional profile allows for the development of tailored strategies to enhance emotional wellbeing, build resilience, and improve social communication. Early intervention and supportive environments can empower children to navigate their emotions more effectively, fostering confidence and meaningful connections. 

    At Offspring Health, we aim to provide transparent information about the costs involved in neurodevelopmental and educational assessments.

    Neuropsychological assessments typically involve multiple sessions that usually take between 8 and 16 hours in total, depending on the complexity and individual needs. Our hourly rate is $260, so the total cost typically ranges between $2,300 and $4,230.

    Fees generally cover:

    • Initial consultation and history gathering
    • Testing sessions where your child will complete various fun and interactive tasks
    • Liaison with schools or health professionals as needed
    • Comprehensive case analysis and report preparation
    • Feedback sessions with families and, where applicable, educators or other professionals

    Please note that standard neuropsychological assessments are generally not covered by Medicare. However, some assessments and therapy services may be funded through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for eligible participants. We recommend discussing funding options with your NDIS planner or support coordinator prior to booking. Private health insurance may offer partial rebates depending on your level of coverage.

    What’s the next step?

    Please phone reception for a discussion about your needs or email psychology@offspringhealth.com