National Microtia Awareness Day
National Microtia Awareness Day
Observed annually on 9th November, the National Microtia Awareness Day is dedicated to raising awareness of Microtia and Atresia among the general public. Microtia and Atresia are both rare congenital disorders.
| Year | Date | Day | Where |
| 2020 | 9th November | Monday | United States |
| 2021 | 9th November | Tuesday | United States |
| 2022 | 9th November | Wednesday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalMicrotiaAwarenessDay
#MicrotiaAwarenessDay
Related: Other National Days Celebrated on November 9th:
Why National Microtia Awareness Day?
Microtia is derived from Latin for little ears. This day is promoted to encourage everyone to know more about this disorder and be empathetic with the ones supporting it.
The National Microtia Awareness Day was founded by The Ear Community Organization in 2016. Ear Community was founded in 2010 by Melissa Tumblin after struggling to find answers for her daughter’s condition who was born with Microtia. Now Ear Community has brought more than 6,500 people to attend their events and share their experiences and resources.
The Ear Community does not only consist of people with microtia and their families but also medical professionals, teachers and advocates from across the globe who are dedicated to raise awareness and provide assistance to this unique group of people.
Microtia is a condition where the ears are physically absent and in some cases one or both the ears are underdeveloped. Microtia is often followed with Aural Atresia – due to underdeveloped or absence of ear canals leading to hearing loss.
This condition in the US alone is found to affect 1 in every 6,000 babies i.e Approximately 663 babies are born with this condition every year. This condition occurs during the first trimester when the ears develop.
Children with Microtia will face the challenges of hearing loss, oral challenges, and social acceptance among peers. Thus the National Microtia Day is observed to give more answers to parents about the condition and in turn, hope for life! It also focuses on helping others to be kind about this congenital situation and treat all humans with dignity!
Many Medical Professionals in this field along with hearing device companies and hearing loss organizations also raise awareness about Microtia and Aural Atresia by offering educational courses, as well as tweeting and blogging on Social Media.
How Can We Observe National Microtia Awareness Day?
- Volunteer for awareness programs
With National Microtia Day, you may sign up as a volunteer with one of the many Hospitals, Clinics, or NGOs that support the cause to raise funds for research and to share resources with the general public.
- Get to know more about Microtia
Take this opportunity to dig more about Microtia and share it with your family and friends to raise awareness among them!
- Share your thoughts on Social Media
Observe this day, by sharing your thoughts on Social Media. You may write a blog or record a video and share it using hashtags #NationalMicrotiaAwarenessDay and #MicrotiaAwarenessDay.
- As a Professional keep, yourself updated and have educational sessions
If you are a professional Audiologist, ENT Specialists, Plastic Surgeons, and Paediatricians, you may use this day to update your information on Microtia, as the research keeps revealing more about the condition to support patients better. You may also have dedicated sessions for parents, educators, and children to understand Microtia and the various options available to deal with it.
- Sponsor for Organized events
Observe this day by sponsoring events that are organized to raise awareness on Microtia and Aural Atresia.
Interesting Facts About National Microtia Awareness Day:
Here a few quick facts to equip you on National Microtia Awareness Day!
- Microtia is usually accompanied with Atresia
- Microtia is found to occur more often in boys
- Even though patients lose hearing, the inner ears are normal
- BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) is an option developed for ear canal surgery that improves hearing
- Microtia is seen to reduce self-esteem, therefore early recognition and involvement counseling is highly recommended for Parents and Patients
- The external ear is reconstructed through Surgery and It is usually done between ages 4 and 10 years.
- The causes of Microtia in most infants are unknown. Some infants may have Microtia due to genetic changes or due to one gene’s abnormality. Microtia is also found to occur due to the Mother’s environment, diet, or medicines during the pregnancy stages.
History Of National Microtia Awareness Day:
The National Microtia Awareness Day was first observed in 2016 and was founded by Melissa Tumblin.
However, the details for choosing 9th November specifically to observe Microtia Awareness is unknown.
No Presidential Claims or congressional claims are declaring it as a National holiday!
