Infant Ear Molding in Houston and the Woodlands
Sometimes infants are born with minor ear deformities. These deformities can range across a variety of conditions, but often involve misshapen ears that vary in skin or cartilage deficiency. For many children, infant ear molding can be performed to improve the appearance of the ears pain-free and without surgery.
If your infant was born with misshapen or deformed ears, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Rukmini (Vinaya) Rednam may be able to improve aesthetics with nonsurgical ear molding. The earlier that an ear mold is applied, the better the results will be, and Dr. Rednam recommends that this treatment take place in the first week after birth. Successful results may be seen when the procedure is performed on patients up to four weeks of age, but this just depends on the baby’s cartilage and whether or not it has firmed before the treatment.1
Advanced Infant Ear Correction with EarWell®
Dr. Rednam is proud to use the EarWell Infant Ear Correction System for nonsurgical, pain-free molding of infant ears affected by deformities.
Up to 30% of infants are born with some type of ear deformity, and parents are often told that the deformity may improve as the child grows. Unfortunately, it is impossible to accurately predict which cosmetic ear abnormalities will resolve with growth, and children with misshapen ears are often subjected to teasing that can damage their self-esteem.
By using the EarWell system to mold infant ears while the cartilage and tissues are still malleable, Dr. Rednam can correct a range of congenital deformities within a matter of weeks—with up to 90% of patients achieving good to excellent results that are often better than what could have been achieved with surgery later in the child’s life.2
Infant Ear Molding Procedure
During your infant ear molding visit to Dr. Rednam’s practice in Woodland Hills, your child will be fitted with a 4-part EarWell Correction System:
- A posterior shell, which fits around the outside of the ear and is held on with an adhesive
- Small retractors made of soft rubber and gently reshape the ear
- A conchal bowl former which reshapes the center part of the ear
- An outer lid made of soft, breathable rubber and holds all of the pieces in place
This ear cradle will be worn 24 hours a day.
Roughly two weeks later, you and your infant will return to the office so that Dr. Rednam can fit the second EarWell Correction System. This will allow your infant’s ear to gradually be reshaped in a pain-free process. A third system will be placed two weeks later. At each visit, Dr. Rednam will take photos so that you can see the progress of your child’s infant ear molding.
Most of Dr. Rednam’s patients achieve excellent infant ear molding results and complete treatment with 3 sets of ear cradles.
Infant Ear Molding Recovery
Infant ear molding has a high success rate: for the vast majority of patients, it improves appearance and no further corrective surgery is required. In rare cases in which the infant does require surgery, the extent will have been lessened by the mold. Because ear molding is non-invasive and non-surgical, no recovery time is required. The office procedure only requires that the infant’s caregivers care for and keep the EarWell clean and dry.
Your Infant Ear Molding Consultation
No parent wants his or child to be subjected to unnecessary pain, whether it is physical or emotional. If your infant was born with misshapen ears and you are interested in correcting any cosmetic abnormalities, doing so as early as possible can help prevent surgery, physical discomfort, and potential teasing by his or her peers. To learn more about nonsurgical, pain-free infant ear molding options available in the Houston and Woodland Hills area, please contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rukmini Rednam.
References
1 Ullmann Y, Blazer S, Ramon Y, Blumenfeld I, Peled IJ. Early nonsurgical correction of congenital auricular deformities. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2002;109(3):907-915. doi:10.1097/00006534-200203000-00013. Accessed June 17, 2020.
2 Byrd HS, Langevin CJ, Ghidoni LA. Ear molding in newborn infants with auricular deformities. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010;126(4):1191-1200. doi:10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181e617bb. Accessed June 17, 2020.
