With great pleasure, I introduce the concise Handbook "Clefts of the Craniofacial System: Cleft Lip and Palate" by M. Koudoumnakis and Collaborators, which concerns the modern, holistic care of children with clefts by a team of specialized healthcare professionals. This brief treatise expresses the distilled experience of surgeons, pediatricians, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals who collaborate at the Special Center for the Management of Congenital Craniofacial Anomalies at the "Agia Sophia" Children's Hospital for the best possible outcome. It describes in a logical and clear manner the theoretical and practical knowledge needed for early diagnosis, as well as the correct pediatric, surgical, nutritional, and psychological management, restoration, and monitoring of children with clefts.

The establishment of specialized teams for the multidimensional, holistic management of complex, relatively rare health problems, such as clefts, is a recent positive development in medical science. The Special Center for the Management of Congenital Craniofacial Anomalies at the "Agia Sophia" Children's Hospital is an innovation for Greece and provides valuable work for the country. The monograph of the Center's team is addressed to those who work with affected children and need a systematic source of knowledge, as well as to those who study and want to acquire accurate knowledge on the subject. It is certain that this publication will contribute to better informing doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who care for children with clefts and, consequently, to better care for these children.

(from the preface by Georgios P. Chrousos, Professor and Director, First University Pediatric Clinic, "Agia Sophia" Children's Hospital)