Neonatal ear splinting for congenital ear deformities^✰

Splinting of ears in neonates to correct the congenital auricular deformities has been well described. Despite being a non-invasive technique and having a potential to prevent need for correctional surgery, it's up-take across the UK has been poor. This study evaluates the outcomes of neonatal ear splinting for congenital ear deformities from a regional ear splinting service. The retrospective study of patients undergoing neonatal ear splinting from 2009- 2015 was conducted at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery. A total of 82 (n = 123 ears) neonates were treated. At the cessation of treatment 93% were reported as improved/excellent by a clinician. Longer-term parent evaluation showed improved/excellent result in 78.89%. Neonatal ear splinting is relatively inexpensive and has a high rate of success for a variety of neonatal ear deformities. Promoting awareness, identifying patients early and commencing treatment may reduce surgical correction of auricular deformities.