Preventing Bat Ears: A DIY solution for newborns
World Expert on Ear Reconstruction Offers Hope to Parents at Portland Hospital
London, UK – 16 May, 2005 - Ear Buddies (www.earbuddies.co.uk) , a revolutionary DIY treatment designed by leading plastic surgeon David Gault for deformed or prominent ears, are best fitted at birth, but should they be used as a preventive measure on all babies?
This is the question Mr. Gault will address by launching a new study this week. A world expert on ear reconstruction who lectures internationally on ear surgery techniques, he will be offering parents a 'see and fit' service to reassure them of the ease of use of the technique he created when his own children were born with stick-out, or 'bat ears'.
According to David Gault, who is based Great Ormond Street;
“We know that two-thirds of bat ears are obvious at birth. The remaining third don’t begin to stick out until about three months of age but by then they’re harder to fix. There’s no way of telling which will start to stick out, but one in twenty people end up with ears which stick out more than 40 degrees from the side of the head.”
So why fit soon after birth? Babies move their heads very little in the first few weeks of life, the skin hardly sweats and once the birth coating has been cleaned off, the tapes used to fix the splints in place usually stick for long enough – about two weeks - to ensure a perfect fix and render defunct any need for future surgery.
Bat ear surgery under the NHS is becoming a thing of the past, and only a few centres in the UK offer fast-track splinting. Under the present system, referrals take weeks and even months to set up, and valuable time is lost. Even so, success with late splintage is still possible if the parents are determined enough.
According to David Gault;
“The most dedicated parents are those who have suffered bat ears themselves and are willing to do anything to prevent their children being teased. Ear Buddies are easy enough for parents to fit themselves, but some need more reassurance, particularly if baby’s ears are unusual.”
From this week, Mr Gault will be offering a regular see and fit service at the Portland Hospital, London. All Ear Buddies users will have the option of joining an on-line study, which will follow outcomes over five years.
According to David Gault;
“At the moment we recommend that all babies with obviously prominent or deformed ears are fitted with Ear Buddies as soon as possible, and preferably in the first week of life. My feeling is all normal ears should be splinted as well, if there is a strong history of prominent ears in the family, given that it's so easy to do at birth and there's nothing to lose. We will know the definitive answers as the study develops in the coming years.”
ENDS
Designed by David Gault, one of the world's leading experts on the outer ear, Ear Buddies™ can correct simple deformities and pin back prominent ears without surgery, in as little as two weeks. Mr. David Gault can be contacted on 08707 661 066.
Ear Buddies™ are widely available to the public and can be purchased online, or by phone at 0906 802 0197.