With the birth of your newborn, one of the first things every parent does is to look over the infant to confirm that all the “parts” are there: 10 toes, 10 fingers, and so on. What sometimes will happen, is that parents notice that their newborn’s ears stick out from the side of his/her head in a way that seems “more than normal.” If this is the situation in which you find yourself, we have good news: it can be fixed in only a few weeks, without surgery or any discomfort to your baby, and likely covered by your health insurance. 

What Are Protuberant Ears?

Ears that “stick out” are considered to be “protuberant” if one or both of the following characteristics exist:

1. Increased angle between the outer ear (called the auricle) and the side of the head.
   • Normal is 20 to 30%.
2. Increased distance between the ear(s) and the head.
   • Normal is less than ¾ of an inch.

Your pediatrician can do the measurements above for you. 

What Causes Ears to Stick Out?

There are several reasons that a person’s ears will protrude from the side of the head in a larger distance than is considered normal, including genetics, position in the womb, abnormal cartilage development and normal cartilage immaturity. 

Can Genetics Cause Protuberant Ears?

Most definitely. If you or your family members have ears that stick out, this can be the connection to your baby’s protruding ears, as this is known to be inherited via DNA.

Can Baby’s Position in the Womb Affect Ear Development?

Again, yes. If the ear(s) of the fetus are pressed up against the womb, this can temporarily alter the shape of the ears. In this situation, it’s possible that this will remedy on its own, compared with genetically protuberant ears, as above. 

Abnormal Cartilage Development Can Cause Protuberant Ears

If the cartilage that keeps the ear close to the head (called the antihelix) is weak or absent, the ear can protrude. This is the most common cause of sticking-out ears. 

Alternatively, if the cup of the ear near the ear canal (called the concha) is too deep or too large, it can push the ear outward, causing the ears to stick out. 

Normal Cartilage Immaturity

The cartilage in a newborn’s ears is very soft and pliable as a result of the high level of mother’s estrogen in the baby’s system. As these hormones disappear over the first few weeks and, as the ears stiffen, they might reshape on their own. As cautioned above, however, time is lost for non-surgical remodeling with EarWell if you wait to see if the ears will remold on their own. EarWell treatment must happen within the first 1-4 weeks after birth to be the most effective.

Will My Baby’s Ears Look Normal Over Time?

Maybe. About 30-40% of newborn ear deformities will improve within the first few months. The problem is, if you wait out those months and the ears don’t look any better, it will be too late for ear molding, such as EarWell nonsurgical molding, leaving you with no choice other than to wait until your baby is school-aged for ear surgery. 

There are Three Choices for Babies with Ears that Stick Out

• Do nothing.
  • You can hope it resolves on its own, which happens about 30% of the time.
• Wait until the child is school-aged and then have a surgery (called otoplasty) to fix the ears. 
  • Some people call this “ear pinning,” although it is a surgical removal of a portion of the cartilage at the back of the ear to allow the ear to lie more flat against the head. 
  • Any surgery, including otoplasty, involves anesthesia, postop pain, risk of infection and a recovery period during which time the child cannot engage in sports or roughhousing and must wear dressings 24 hours a day.
  • Otoplasty is an optional (cosmetic) surgery and health insurance almost never covers it. 
• Early Correction with EarWell
  • Performed within the first 1-4 weeks of life, while the cartilage is still soft, is the best, fastest and most affordable way to remold your baby’s ears. 

Look at the before/after ear photos to see the near-miraculous changes in babies’ ears over a very brief period of time.

The Bottom Line:

Your baby’s ears, like your ears and the ears of every person on earth, are clearly visible to everyone. Sadly, we are often judged by our appearance. Children (and even family members) are known to remark unkindly about a child’s “differences,” including their ears, which can negatively affect a child’s self-esteem. Why risk this when EarWell is fast, painless and likely covered by your health insurance? 

Taking immediate steps to ensure that your child’s ears are normal in appearance is easy. Click this link to find an EarWell physician in your area. They are thoroughly trained on the EarWell application and will guide you through the process of giving your baby perfect ears.