My Child Is Being Teased About Their Ears: A Parent’s Guide to Pinnaplasty in London & Essex “My child is being teased because their ears stick out. Should we have them pinned back?” It is an understandable question, especially when a previously confident child suddenly starts hiding their ears with their hair, refusing certain hairstyles, or telling you someone at school has commented on them. For parents in London, East London, Brentwood and Essex , the difficult part is often knowing whether to reassure and wait, address the teasing itself, or seek a specialist opinion about pinnaplasty. The important starting point is this: prominent ears are usually a normal variation in appearance, not an illness that needs correcting. Surgery should therefore never become an automatic response to somebody else making an unkind comment. Mr Gaurav Kumar, Consultant ENT Surgeon , discusses prominent ears with families in the wider context of the child’s own wishes, ear development, expec...
Why Has One Side of My Child’s Face Suddenly Dropped? A Parent’s Guide to Facial Palsy Perhaps you first notice it while your child is eating breakfast. Their smile looks different. One corner of the mouth does not move as well as the other. Perhaps they cannot puff out one cheek properly. Or you notice something even more unexpected: One eye does not completely close when they blink. For a parent, suddenly seeing one side of a child’s face move differently can be frightening. You may immediately search: “Why is my child’s face drooping?” “Can children get Bell’s palsy?” or “Is this coming from the ear?” One possible explanation is facial nerve palsy . Bell’s palsy is one type of facial palsy, but don't assume every child with a suddenly uneven face has Bell’s palsy. New facial weakness in a child needs prompt medical assessment. Current NHS guidance advises urgent medical assessment for symptoms suggestive of Bell’s palsy because treatment, where appropriate, is more useful when...