Seven-year-old girl has plastic surgery

A seven-year-old US girl has had plastic surgery to avoid being bullied at school.

Samantha Shaw's mother arranged for her to go to New York and have her ears pinned back. Surgeons in Manhattan also removed part of one ear that was folded over.

South Dakota resident Cami Roselles said her daughter had already been teased about her ears and she was worried that it would become worse and turn into bullying.

"When she was younger she got called monkey ears," Ms Roselles said.

"Adults are the worst, [they say] right in front of her 'Oh my god what happened to her ear? That's so gross!'."

Before the surgery the little girl said she hated people asking about her ears.

"I really want to go to New York and get my ear fixed," she told ABC.

Plastic surgeon Dr Steven Pearlman performed the operation at the Manhattan Eye Ear and Throat hospital.

He said studies showed kids with abnormalities were less popular and teasing could cause long term damage to their self esteem.

"They get called names like dumbo, big ears, mouse ears," Dr Pearlman said.

The Little Baby Face Foundation, which funds surgery for abnormalities in children, paid for the seven-year-old's operation.

The number of children having cosmetic surgery in the US has jumped 30 per cent over the past decade, according to the American Society for Plastic Surgery.