An ear tag is a soft, painless bump in front of the ear. Ear tags don't need to be treated. But if a parent or older child doesn't like the way it looks, it can be removed with a simple surgery.

• The ear tag does not need any special care.
• Do not try to remove the ear tag at home.
• If your baby didn't get a hearing test in the hospital or the test results showed a possible problem, you might need to schedule a hearing test after your baby is home. Follow your health care provider's instructions on what kind of hearing test to schedule and when.

The tag:

• becomes red, sore, or swollen
• starts to bleed or ooze fluid

What causes ear tags? An ear tag happens early in pregnancy when the baby is just starting to form. It forms when the parts of the ear don't come together quite right. Why this happens isn't clear. Ear tags can run in families.

Do babies with ear tags have other medical problems? Most babies with ear tags are healthy. Rarely, children with ear tags can have hearing loss or other health problems. Your health care provider will do a hearing test (either in the hospital or after your baby gets home) and check your baby for any medical problems. Most likely, the ear tag will not affect your baby's health in any way.