My Baby Was Born Without an Ear Canal — Will They Be Able to Hear? A Parent's Guide to Aural Atresia and Microtia You have just welcomed your baby into the world. As you hold them, you notice something unexpected. One ear looks smaller than the other. Perhaps the outer ear's normal folds are not fully formed. When you look more closely, you cannot see the usual opening leading into the ear canal. You begin wondering: “Why has my baby's ear developed differently?” “Can they hear through that ear?” “Will this affect their speech?” “Will they need surgery?” These are understandable questions. One possible explanation is a congenital condition called aural atresia , sometimes associated with microtia . Although the ear's appearance may be noticeable at birth, the most important early question concerns hearing. What is congenital aural atresia? Aural atresia is a developmental condition in which the external ear canal has not formed normally. The ear canal is the passage t...
Treating All Adult and Children ENT conditions