Ear tags or ear tags are one of many usually small birth defects that may be seen in an infant or slightly older child. The tag is usually a small flap made mostly of skin that is slightly in front of the ear. Some babies have only one and this finding is not necessarily significant. Other babies may have multiple ear tags and these may be associated with certain defects of which skin tags are a symptom or with conditions that cause unusual development of skin tags.
Many times an ear tag is unique and will mean very little in the life of a baby or child. However, because of the possibility that the label could mean something else, including potential risk to hearing, the presence of one should be brought to the attention of a child's physician. Since ear tags are skin-colored, they may not always be noticeable at first.
Children can also have small holes in front of their ears, and these can also be light in color. Changes in the appearance of a pit where it looks red, or suddenly turns from a pit to a lump that may be filled with pus, suggest getting immediate medical attention to treat what could be an infection. The appearance of ear tags usually does not change, although they may grow a bit over time. Rapid growth tends to be an unusual occurrence and should be mentioned to a doctor.
In many cases, when ear tags are benign, parents still choose to remove them for cosmetic reasons. Since these can grow over time, it can significantly promote a child's self-esteem or comfort level. Of course, if the child is still in infancy, he is unlikely to notice the presence of an ear tag.
Extraction is usually a procedure that can be done while a baby is awake under local anesthesia. More complicated surgery may be required if the tag contains ear cartilage or if there are multiple ear tags that need to be removed. In most cases, the surgery is quite simple: the tag is cut out and the skin is sewn back together. Local or general anesthesia may be at the discretion of the surgeon, depending on the degree to which a patient needs to be stabilized or the degree to which a surgery could create trauma to the infant or young child. Parents can also weigh in on this decision.
With surgery, most of the time this spells the end of a baby receiving new ear tags. However, some people seem genetically prone to developing them and may develop more in the future. This is not always predictable, but careful observation of a child for pits, marks, cysts, or other growths is warranted.