14 1/2 Week Old and Smelly Ears

Updated on December 15, 2010
D.P. asks from Greenville, NC
11 answers

I noticed last night that my daughter's ears smell sour! It really stinks! She doesn't spit up or anything, so I can't figure out where it's coming from! She is also drooling a lot, so I wonder if that's getting in her ears when she sleeps at night. Anyway, what can I do to get rid of the smell? I cleaned them out really well, and wash them all the time. She doesn't have an ear infection and it doesn't seem to be bothering her. It just bothers me more than anything. Thanks for the advice.

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So What Happened?

My mother called and said she smelled. So I made an appointment. Now that I think about it, her appetite hasn't been so great over the past couple of days. You're probably right about the infection. Hopefully, she'll feel better soon. Thanks for the advice!

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Sometimes the only way we knew my oldest had an ear infection was the smell. My youngest too, hardly ever had any fevers with ear infections and I let a few get by me until too late. He is now a 9 yo with some hearing loss. She is only 14 weeks. Take her to the peditrician.

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

Have you taken her to the doctor to make sure she doesn't have an ear infection? Maybe the drool is getting in there. Especially if you're feeding her formula and even a little bit comes up and runs back in her ears at night -it will stink. I would make sure a doctor looked at her ears though -sour smelling ears are a big indicator of infection.

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D.S.

answers from Tulsa on

ear infection she probably has one get her checked again

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

You've probably done this but make sure you check under the neck as that is a place that 'cheese' likes to hide, especially if she is drooling.

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

You really can't clean out the ears very well without pushing more stuff down in deep. Also, I'm not sure what you're cleaning them with but liquid can get in there and not drain out. I agree it sounds like something is infected - the bacteria give off the odor. There could be a blockage in the Eustachian tube too. I'd have the pediatrician look. It might not have shown up before but now it's worse and will show. At the very least the pedi should take a whiff of this! It's not right.

Edit - just want to add that you should check behind the outer ear too - sometimes kids get rashes or eczema and there can be an odor connected with that.

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S.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

when you bath her do her ears get submerged in water. water can get trapped and make that bad ear smell

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T.K.

answers from Fayetteville on

I would just clean her ears really well - check those crevices around the tops of the ears...that is where we often neglect when cleaning and lots of build up can collect there. If you clean with baby wash and it still smells sour...maybe a quick trip to the pediatrician wouldn't be a bad thing. Good Luck!

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D.P.

answers from Raleigh on

I am not sure about your daughter, but my son was a rolly polly. He had folds everywhere when he was little! Milk, drool - they both can get trapped in there. So, it is a good idea to check on the ears, but you may want to also thoroughly clean all around her neck.

I hope everything was okay!
D.

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W.M.

answers from Nashville on

It is probably coming from behind her ears. There is the little crease behind the ear that gets sour smelling if not cleaned often. I take a q-tip with alcohol on it and every once in awhile run it into this crease behind the ear and it cleans it up. Run it all over the back and behind her ear.

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J.G.

answers from Atlanta on

Do not use water to clean ears. Olive Oil with a drop of lavender (to calm) warmed... ( keep a small mixture by the changing table and use often) a drop and it flushes wax and dead skin to the surface. i suffered from ear infections for years and my baby has waxy ears too. works greats!

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R.U.

answers from Nashville on

infection! check it out with the doc. R.

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