What Causes Protruding Ears?
During embryologic development (before birth), the ears project straight out, away from the head. By the ninth month of development, the ears usually assume a position closer to the head and develop natural folds. When the pre-birth developmental process stops short of completion, the ears are prominent and may lack the usual folds. Since the anterior one-half of the head develops from two opposite sides, even ears considered “normal,” are rarely identical; the ears may also attach to the skull at slightly different levels or angles. Perfect symmetry of “corrected” ears is an unrealistic expectation. Therefore, small differences in corrected ears should not detract from the excellence in improvement.
