Protruding Ears Deformities

Protruding Ears and Prominent Ears Deformity: The Path from Diagnosis to Treatment

There’s nothing in the world like holding your newborn baby in your arms. Undoubtedly, your infant is the most beautiful and precious thing you have ever seen. Although every part of your newborn is perfect—ten toes and ten fingers—you might have noticed something about your baby’s ears. Maybe they are pointed at the top, or they stick out a bit. Ears that stick out are called Prominent Ears or Protruding Ears. Many people have them: Protruding Ears are one of the most common external ear deformities.

You might wonder what to do about your baby’s Protruding Ears—if anything. This blog post will educate you about the Protruding Ears/Prominent Ears deformity and help you to identify both surgical and non-surgical options for treatment.

The Definition of a Protruding Ears Deformity

Ears that protrude from the side of the head at an angle greater than 40 degrees and more than 2 centimeters from the head are referred to as Prominent Ears or Protruding Ears. They typically affect both ears and are present from birth.

Having shared the medical definition above, we don’t expect you to run for a ruler to see if your baby’s ears “stick out enough” to be of concern.

Simply look at your infant’s ears and if you have even a minor concern that your newborn may have Prominent or Protruding Ears, we have hundreds of EarWell physicians (likely one near you) who can evaluate the level of projection for you and advise you whether or not your baby has Protruding Ears or Prominent Ears that can be corrected painlessly and quickly with EarWell. It’s urgent that you make this appointment as soon after birth as possible because there’s a very tiny window (approximately 3 weeks) after birth during which your baby’s ears are pliable enough to be painlessly and non-surgically molded into a normal shape with EarWell.

As an aside, in some birth defects of the ear, hearing loss can happen because of problems inside the middle and inner ears. But Protruding Ears deformity in and of itself doesn't cause hearing loss. Although a child with a hearing loss might also have a Protruding Ears deformity, the hearing loss wasn’t caused by the Protruding Ears deformity.

What Causes Protruding Ears?

There are several causes for Protruding Ears, aka Prominent Ears. Here are some of them:

• Sometimes Prominent Ears are inherited, like blue eyes or curly hair. If you or your baby’s father have ears that stick out, or relatives with Protruding Ears, it may have caused Prominent Ears in your baby.
• Protruding Ears can happen in the womb, too, if your baby was in a particular position for too long.
• If the ridge inside the ear (the antihelical fold) that gives the ear its natural curve is underdeveloped or missing, the ear can stick out more than normal. If the bowl-shaped part of the ear near the ear canal, called the concha, has too much cartilage, it can push the ear outward, creating the Prominent Ear deformity.
• If the angle between the ear and your baby’s head is larger than 15-30 degrees, it can cause the ear(s) to appear more prominent.

The cause is less important than the cure, which is quite simple:
Bring your newborn to one of our EarWell physicians within the first few weeks after birth. There is a 98% likelihood that EarWell can fix your baby’s Protruding Ears, quickly, painlessly and without surgery.

How Are Protruding Ears Diagnosed?

An examination of your baby’s ears by one of our EarWell physicians is the fastest and best way to discover whether your baby has an ear deformity and, specifically, a Protruding Ears deformity. When our trained EarWell physician looks at your baby’s ears, they check for an undeveloped antihelical fold, excess conchal cartilage and/or a larger than normal angle from ear to head, which indicate a case of Prominent Ears. Your EarWell physician will immediately know what ear deformity your baby has and how to bring your infant’s ears to a normal shape with EarWell.

Protruding Ears Compared with Other External Ear Deformities

Protruding vs. Large Ears

If your baby seems to have large ears, they may stick out from the head more than usual, which some people call the "Dumbo effect.” To fix these, otoplasty surgery is sometimes needed to remove some of the cartilage behind the ear. However, almost all cases of Protruding Ears can be fixed with EarWell application, avoiding a costly out-of-pocket otoplasty surgery when your child reaches school age. Again, visit with one of our EarWell physicians to be diagnosed.

Your newborn is in good hands with EarWell,
whether he or she has Protruding Ears or another ear deformity.

Knowing how to spot the signs of Protruding Ears abnormality is important so it can be identified and resolved as early as possible. Early diagnosis can lead to more treatment choices, such as the non-surgical option with EarWell, that can change the shape of your baby's ears without requiring surgery later on. You can use our Physician Locator Tool to quickly find a specially trained EarWell specialist nearest you. If you have any difficulties with the tool on our website or can’t locate an EarWell physician near you, reach out to us by phone at 630-357-7374. We can help you within minutes.

There Are Two Treatments for Protruding Ears Deformity

1. Ear Molding To Treat Protruding Ears Deformity

Ear molding with EarWell, which is basically an incredibly soft ear covering that feels like silicone, is the most effective non-surgical method of treating exterior birth abnormalities including Protruding Ears. The secret to success is to apply EarWell to the baby's ears as soon as possible after birth. What's the rush? Since the cartilage in a newborn's ears is very soft and pliable, the cartilage can easily be reshaped both right after birth and within the first 3-4 weeks of life.

NOTE: Ear molding is either ineffective or requires a longer treatment period for older infants or toddlers since their ear cartilage has already hardened. Again, a specially trained EarWell physician can best advise you if your baby’s ears can be treated successfully with the application of EarWell.

Your baby's ears will appear normal within weeks if you select this painless, non-surgical choice. Another benefit of EarWell to remold your newborn’s Protruding Ear deformity is that it only takes two or three office visits, doesn't require surgery, stitches, or anesthesia, and your baby probably won't notice it at all (see videos on this website from parents who speak about the comfort issue). EarWell has a very high success rate; many external ear abnormalities can be resolved in as little as six weeks. Additionally, the majority of health insurance plans, including Medicaid/Calcaid and military coverage, pay in part or completely for EarWell treatment.

If you have a baby with Protruding Ears, don’t worry. If you catch it early, ear shaping with EarWell can avoid a later surgery. This gentle method of reshaping works best when the cartilage is still soft, which is within the first 3-4 weeks after birth.

2. The Surgical Option to Correct a Protruding Ears Deformities

If, in the very rare instance (most often due to delay of application), EarWell cannot resolve your child’s Protruding Ear deformity, surgery is the only other option. An otoplasty (ear-reshaping surgery) is an outpatient procedure performed by a plastic surgeon to reshape the ears for those with Prominent Ears.

There are downsides to ear surgery:

• Your little one cannot have an otoplasty until they are five or six years old. Many children experience bullying or other forms of taunting from other kids during this time, which could cause psychological issues that persist even after ear reshaping.
• An otoplasty requires anesthesia, sutures, dressings, and discomfort. As with any surgical procedure, there is always a risk of infection.
• After otoplasty, the majority of kids struggle to cope with the bandages and the discomfort.
• Following ear surgery, a recovery period of one to two weeks is required. That usually means no involvement in sports or other athletic activities, such as soccer, gymnastics, T-ball, etc.
• Health insurance rarely covers an otoplasty, because it is deemed an elective plastic surgery operation. Since its launch, practically all health insurance companies have covered EarWell.

The Importance of Early Protruding Ear Treatment

Children are no different from adults in wanting to be liked and accepted by their peers. A youngster who has a noticeable physical defect, such as a protruding ear deformity, is more likely to be teased and rejected by other children because their ear shape differs from that of the other kids in their group. Unfortunately, words like “Dumbo” can have a lasting impression on a child.

The impact of a physical difference extends beyond having to cope with offensive remarks or looks. A child's sense of self-worth is fragile, due to their young age and inexperience with negative comments about their looks. Our little ones often spend more time with classmates than with family members, exposing them to kids—even adults—who can’t understand or accept their appearance. Studies show that beyond the age of seven, the frequency of taunting occurrences significantly increases. Although the remarks might not appear detrimental at first, they could eventually damage your child's sense of self-worth.

Why wouldn't you choose EarWell, a painless, noninvasive, and early solution to the deformity of protruding ears, given the information presented above? It can be done well before your child is made fun of by others for having “different” ears.

Seeking Treatment for Protruding Ears Deformity

If you suspect your child may have a Protruding Ears deformity, the first step is to contact one of our EarWell physicians. Click the link to your left and follow the prompts to find a specially trained EarWell provider. If you have any difficulties, just click this link to contact us. Alternatively, you can call us at 630-357-7374. We are here to help you resolve your child’s Protruding Ear or Prominent Ear deformity.

EarWell resolution to your child’s external ear deformity, whether Protruding Ears or another external ear deformity, will provide a sense of normalcy and self-esteem to your child.