Microtia:
What causes Microtia:
At the current time, no specific gene has been identified that causes
this condition, and almost never does someone with hemifacial microsomia
pass the trait on to his or her children (less that 5% chance). The exact
cause of this condition remains unknown but there is some experimental
evidence, published many years ago, that suggested if a small blood vessel
ruptures near the developing ear in mice before they are born (so this
area ends up getting less blood), after birth the mice will have an absent
ear. More likely, this condition results from an impaired flow of cells
(called neural crest cells), which arise adjacent to the spinal cord and
travel to the face to form the facial skeleton. We know that if not enough
of these cells are able to successfully migrate to their intended location,
the ear is either smaller, or absent. It has been suggested that some
medications may lead to this condition, but this is extremely hard to
prove. In conclusion, all current evidence suggests that many complicated
factors lead to microtia, and there is nothing that the mother did wrong
during pregnancy to cause this to happen.
Can my child hear out
of this ear? | Treatment
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