Microtia is a birth defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally shaped earlobes. Most people with microtia will experience hearing loss. In fact, what causes microtia and is it treatable?
Microtia is a rare ear disease in infants. This congenital abnormality is estimated to only occur in 1 in 8,000 births.
Microtia generally affects the outer ear, specifically the shape of the earlobe, but there are also cases of microtia which causes babies to be born without leaves and an ear canal. Congenital or congenital abnormalities in the ear can occur in one ear or both ears.
Several Types of Microtia
Microtia disease occurs since the baby is still in the womb, especially in the early weeks or first trimester of pregnancy. To detect the shape of the ear and other organs in the fetus, the doctor can perform a pregnancy ultrasound examination.
Microtia is divided into four types. The larger the type, the greater the severity. The following are the four types of microtia:
- Type 1: The ear canal and auricle look normal, but are slightly smaller than the normal auricle.
- Type 2: Some parts of the earlobe are missing and the hole looks very narrow.
- Type 3: The earlobe is pea-shaped and has no ear canal.
- Type 4: Babies do not have external ears including the auricle and ear canal. This condition is also known as anotia.
Causes and Risk Factors for Microtia Disease
Microtia can occur when there is an abnormality or genetic mutation in the fetus in the womb that causes problems with the shape of the ears. This genetic disorder can occur even though both parents of the baby do not have genetic problems.
In addition, microtia is also thought to have a relationship with genetic disorders that affect the development of facial shape, such as:
- Goldenhar syndrome, a genetic disease that causes babies to be born with imperfect ears, nose, lips and jaws.
- Treacher Collins syndrome, a condition that affects the shape of the cheekbones, jaw and chin.
- Hemifacial Microsomia, which is a disorder characterized by one side of the lower face being abnormal.
Although it can happen to anyone, microtia is more prone to be experienced by babies born to mothers with certain conditions or habits, such as:
- Suffering from diabetes.
- Having rubella in the first trimester.
- Experiencing nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy, especially lack of folic acid and carbohydrates.
- Drink a lot of alcohol while pregnant.
- Using drugs during pregnancy, such as thalidomide and isotretinoin.
The Impact of Mikrotia on the Sufferers
Because the shape of the ear is less than perfect, people with microtia are prone to hearing loss. This is because sound cannot reach the middle and inner ear easily. A common hearing problem in infants or children with microtia is conductive deafness.
The more severe the microtia, the more severe the hearing loss felt by the patient. Without early treatment, microtia that cause hearing loss can make your child speech late or have difficulty speaking.
Microtia also causes children to feel less confident and withdraw from society because they are embarrassed by the shape of their ears. The role of parents and families is needed to help children understand their condition, so that children remain confident with their physical limitations.
To prevent the worsening of hearing loss and speech difficulties, children need to be examined by a doctor so that they can be given treatment.
How to Treat Microtia Conditions?
Treatment for microtia depends on its severity. If the child only has a mild deformity of the earlobe without hearing loss, then treatment may not be necessary.
However, if the earlobe abnormality is severe enough to interfere with hearing function or even cause deafness, then ear surgery is necessary.
There are several surgical methods that can be performed to treat microtia, namely:
1. Artificial ear graft
In this procedure, the doctor will take a part of the patient's ribs to be shaped like an earlobe. This artificial earlobe is then grafted on the skin of the ear that has abnormalities. Ear grafts are usually only done after the child is more than 6 years old.
2. Prosthetic ear fitting
Insertion of a prosthetic ear or artificial ear is the same as an artificial earlobe graft. It's just that, the ear that will be grafted uses a prosthetic (artificial) material.
In this procedure, the prosthetic ear is attached with medical tape or special screws. The use of artificial ears is suitable for patients who are not possible to undergo a graft procedure or when the graft procedure fails.
3. Hearing aid implants
Before installing a hearing aid, the doctor will determine the severity of the hearing loss by performing a hearing test. If the test results show severe hearing loss, the doctor may seek to install a hearing aid implant to improve the patient's hearing function.
Children born with microtia can still lead a normal life. In fact, some of them can grow up healthy and develop optimally like other children. However, if treatment is delayed, the child may find it more difficult to learn and more at risk for developing developmental disorders.
Therefore, babies or children suffering from microtia need to get an examination by an ENT specialist as early as possible. The sooner this condition is detected and treated, the better the chances for the child to be able to hear and experience normal growth and development.
