A New Treatment for Baby’s Malformed Ears

Our ears  aid us in sensing and gathering sounds. The ear also helps us to maintain balance. Aside from these basic functions, our ears also accentuates our facial features.

Camille Cash is not just a Houston cosmetic plastic surgeon, she’s also a mom. “When I think about the possibility that one of my children would have been born with ears that stick out or other abnormal ears, I wonder what I would have done because, until now, there was nothing other than tape–or waiting til they were older for an otoplasty to repair them. ” Since discovering the EarWell Infant Ear Conformer, she no longer worries about babies growing up with misshapen ears, subject to teasing on the schoolyard and the inevitable–and expensive–otoplasty at the age of 4 or older.

“Kids who have misshapen ears are teased at school,” Dr. Cash says. “They’re called names like Dumbo or Elf Ears, and it really hurts them. This kind of teasing directed at very young kids can damage their self-image for their entire lives.”

The EarWell Infant Ear Conformer is now available for Houston-area babies in either of Dr. Cash’s Houston locations. It’s non-invasive, so there’s no pain, scars, injections or anesthesia to worry about. Almost all health insurance programs, including Medicaid, pay for this.

There’s one caveat: Studies show that the best results are obtained when the babies are fitted with the conformer within the first three weeks of life. Says Dr. Cash, “When a baby is born, he or she has a great deal of estrogen in the system, from the mother. Over the first month or two after birth, that estrogen level declines. That means that the malleability of the ear cartilage will also decline. Studies have shown that the sooner the EarWell is applied, the more complete the results.”

The EarWell was created by a plastic surgeon in Dallas and underwent studies at Baylor. Those studies showed that 98% of babies’ ears were corrected if the EarWell was applied within the first three weeks of life.

“As a mom and a physician, I can’t imagine anything easier than the EarWell. It’s like a little soft cover for the baby’s ears–they don’t even notice it. It’s in place for six weeks and after that, 98% of babies will have beautiful, well-shaped ears,” says Dr. Cash.

For those interested in the EarWell for their baby, Dr. Cash can be reached in either her downtown St. Joseph Parkway or Willowbrook Methodist office by calling 713.571.0600.

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