My 7 month old daughter has protruding ears.  I am interested in
non-surgical treatments for the condition.  I am looking for doctors
in the New York City area (Manhattan and Long Island) who treat this
condition in infants non-surgically.  Who in th area does such
treatments on a baby 7 month old?

Hi yanquiprin,

I thought you might be interested in this article so I've copied and
pasted a bit of it for you. It doesn't answer your question but it
raises some interesting points and it does suggest a possible solution
that you can do on your own.

"As in many ethical debates, however, there are a number of "grey
areas" where absolute pronouncements are difficult to make. For
instance, parents may seek surgery on behalf of their children for
"bat ears". Surgery of this type is often claimed as being "in the
best interest of the child" because, allegedly, a child with
protruding ears will be prone to teasing in school. This argument,
however, is specious and represents a projection onto the child of
parental anxieties over conformity. Teasing is not a medical problem.
Likewise, such surgery has no medical value, and, if performed,
necessarily violates the human rights of the child.

It must be acknowledged that ears naturally come in a variety of
shapes and sizes. They also stick out at a wide variety of angles.
Furthermore, it cannot be predicted how a child will feel about his
own ears. He may prefer ears that stick out. Similarly, there is no
guarantee that a child with such ears will be teased and, in the event
he is, that he will care. A child who suffers from the compulsion to
tease will always find something to tease another child about. In any
event, teasing is more appropriately handled by discipline and
psychological counselling for the teaser rather than by ill-conceived
attempts at pre-emptive surgery for the potential victim of teasing.
 
Least invasive and most conservative treatment option.
It is in the patient's best interest to be spared radical cosmetic
surgical procedure when a more conservative surgical technique would
accomplish the same goals. In the case of bat ears, the most
conservative treatment option is to do nothing because the surgery can
always be performed later, should a child with bat ears express a
desire to undergo it and as long as he is made aware of the surgical
risks involved.

Nevertheless, little can be said against parents taking matters into
their own hands and handling the issue non-surgically by taping the
infant's ears back to the scalp to encourage them to grow in a way
that conforms to societal standards. This measure is effective, avoids
the imposition of surgical risk on an unconsenting minor, does not
violate bodily integrity, and respects human rights. Likewise, the
alteration of the body resulting from this non-surgical intervention
is minimal because the result is consistent with natural appearance
and configuration of the ears of a significant number of people."
http://www.cirp.org/library/ethics/hodges3/

Sincerely,
hummer

My granddaughter also was born with protruding ears.  They do run in
the family, my father and brother also having protruding ears.  But no
one has ever considered them a "condition" in need of "treatment," so
I must say I was rather surprised by your question.  From experience I
would just strongly encourage you to accept your daughter as the
unique individual she is, protruding ears and all.  My granddaughter's
ears still protrude.  She is now a bright, pretty, happy,
soon-to-be-seven-year-old child, and is in no way bothered nor
hampered by her ears. While her hair is long enough to cover them, she
frequently wears it up in a ponytail or in braids and no one,
including her, apparently ever gives her ears a second thought.  I
know no one in the family does, beyond the occasional "Dumbo" remark
by her older brother, which she deals with quite swiftly and
definitively! They're just part of our "Katie."  I offer this as an
alternative point of view for you to consider. Best wishes to you and
your family.

--Byrd

I have protruding ears. When I was young, I was teased by other
children (they called me "Sugar Bowl" and other less endearing
things.) As I grew older, the teasing subsided, I learned to style my
hair in such a way as to disguise the earhandles, and now I've come to
terms with my protuberances. I wouldn't change 'em if I had the
chance. They are part of my whole, and if people can't accept my ears
as they are, well, I'm sorry for those people. ;-)

They've had some success with the Aurimethod in Denmark but I don't
know if it's been approved in the U.S.  Your best bet is probably a
teaching hospital, so I'd try NYU/New York Eye & Ear, Columbia
Presbyterian, Manhattan Eye & Ear, or Long Island College.
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=5103
http://www.aurimethod.com/company.htm