Anyone's Child Had Ear Tubes Put In?

My son had them at 13 months and it was the best thing we did for him. continual ear infections, especially at that age, will not only keep him on antibiotics which is not good, but will affect his motor skills (balance is connected to ears) and speach, both of whcih are developing at this age. Mine never had another ear infection - it was the best thing no doubt.

Both of our daughters had them and they did help. No ear infections after that. One of my daughters had two sets; the first one fell out on its own but she still needed to have a set. We waited too long to put them in both girls. One has a slight hearing loss; the other has had problems in school which the learning specialists told us were caused by her not hearing well when she was a toddler. So go for it now and lessen your child's need for antibiotics while increasing his ability to hear and develop linguistically on time.

Hi There,
My 20 month old son had ear tubes put in this past July... best decision we ever made. He had 8 ear infections (1 per month) from last October through April... every time he got so much as a slight runny nose, he would get a full blown ear infection, spike 104 degree temp and stop eating... he would get better with antibiotics, but it kept happening. This past spring he started developing respiratory symptoms as well, with each ear infection. We finally got the tubes and have had no issues. The surgery seriously takes 15 minutes and they can go home an hour later... he was kindof groggy that day, and resumed normal activity a day later. He just recently go his first runny nose and had no ear infection! Has not been sick since the tubes. The only thing we are kindof worried about is his speech... he is slightly delayed in his expressive language, which may be a result of having constant fluid in his ears during a really crucial time period for speach development (the Dr. drained "stagnant" fluid from his ear before he could put the tubes in). In retrospect, I kindof wish I had done it earlier, but his pediatrician and I were doing the, "let's wait until the spring and see how he does" routine. As it turns out, he was going to get ear infections continuously and not grow out of them like some kids. The benigits of tubes definately outweigh the risk in my opinion!! Good Luck!

My daughter had them when she turned a year old. Same thing as your son chronic ear infections and was straight antibiotics for six months. Her first birthday she had a 103 fever and was in pain. It worked wonders. I know a few people who did not do it and their children had major speech issues as well as hearing loss. My daughter is now 20 years old and didn't have to have them redone at all. She had an occasional ear infection through her life but nothing extreme enought to have them redone. I would recommend you do it, you will see a tremendous difference. Good luck!!

My oldest daughter had them when she was about 17 months - they were such a blessing! She didn't have one ear infection for almost 5 yrs (when the ENT removed them because they had fallen out). Compared to all of the sleepless nights and the screaming, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The surgery wasn't bad at all. They gave her a "cocktail" to get her a little drowsy and then my husband went into the operating room w/her until she fell asleep. She was a little fussy after waking up from the anesthesia but she did really well. The only real issue we encountered was her being afraid to put her head under water as she got older because she couldn't with the tubes. But they sell so many gadgets that kept her from missing out any fun activities. Good luck!

Y.,
We had tubes put in at 6 months with our son...the earliest possible. It was probably the best decision we have made for his health. It is frightening for mama, but he was out of my arms for LITERALLY 20 minutes. It is so quick, and they know how scared you are for your baby.
Warning- he was screaming as he came out of anesthesia, which really freaked me out, but he was over it in just a couple minutes. It is a normal reaction.

He is now 18 months, and one of the tubes came out a couple of weeks ago- no big deal. Looked yucky because there was some blood, but it didn't hurt because he slept through it. The other one is still in and fine.

Good luck!

OH MY DO THEY HELP!
Stories too long to write. Both of our daughters have had them. Our little one is on her second set. We were concerned with some developmental issues and she is currently in therapy but now that her ears have cleared she is a rockstar! Feeling better, doing better, speaking better, walking better...
The surgery takes about 5 minutes. When they come out of the Anesthesia they cry!!! Its not them, they are still asleep. You help them go back to sleep and they wake up smiling at you. I wont lie to you about that because that is pretty much the only bad part, but they have no idea.
From what I understand happened with my nephew is that he had too many ear infections and their Dr. wouldnt put them in until he was 4. He now has horrible scaring in his ears and can hardly hear which lead to his inability to speak.

Its worth it, it is a very minor procedure. Good luck. I hope he feels better. Those infections are so painful especially if he is also teething.

I went through all of this with my now 4 year old daughter. Chronic ear infections and on different atibiotics for 6 months. On a reccomendation from a friend I took my daughter to a chiropractor. It sounds strange but.....it worked. They did not adjust her like they would an adult there is a different method for children. Unfortunately I did not start the treatment early enough or I would have cancelled the appointment at the hospital for the tubes. We were afraid it would take forever to get a new one and if it did not work......When they put the tubes in there was no more fluid in her ears. I have a 2 year old that started having ear infections last year. I did one round of the anitbiotics and they did not help. I took her to the chiropractor and they cleared right up.

Hi Y.! All three of my kids have had tubes in their ears. My daughter (she's 7 now) got them when she was a little over one and they worked beautifully - she's never had an ear infection since and rarely is sick now.

My oldest son (he's 5 now) has had tubes five times now (they've fallen out earlier than expected and he has kept getting ear infections). My son has grown quicker than average (he's well off the charts for both height and weight) - not sure if that's why the tubes didn't stay in for as long as they should have...his tubes though have been out for a little over a year now and he hasn't had an ear infection, so I'm crossing my fingers that he's outgrown the need for tubes. He gets fluid in his ears when he has a cold, but so far, no infection.

My youngest son (he's almost 15 months) had tubes put in when he was 10 months old. He had gotten 6 ear infections (a few back to back) and given our history, my ENT and I thought it best to get the procedure done rather than keep putting him on antibiotics. It's only been 5 months, but the tubes are still functional and all is well (no ear infections to report), so we'll see how it continues to go. If they do fall out though and he goes back to getting infections, I won't hesitate to have them inserted again.

In any case, the procedure is literally five minutes and the kids get anesthesia. All three of my kids came out from under without an issue and were totally fine. I took them home and they ate a meal without an issue and were up and running without even so much as another dose of tylenol. My experience has been wonderful - except for the fact that my oldest son's don't stay in past 5 or 6 months...but again, he's grown at a faster rate than normal (off the charts for height and weight), so perhaps that's why...

The benefits have been tremendous though - my oldest son's hearing was horrible (we had him tested for nerve damage since it was so bad, but thankfully it was just from the fluid in his ears that he couldn't hear). As soon as the tubes were in, we were able to whisper to him and he heard us crystal clear. Also, his speech improved ten-fold when the tubes went in.

I'm sure you have an ENT already, but if you are in need of a really good doctor, send me a private message and I'll send you back the name of my kids' otolaryngologist - he's well known in NJ, has won all sorts of awards for his accomplishments, has an excellent bedside manner, is great with the kids and explains everything to you until you are comfortable. He's also on the conservative side, so when he tells you his opinion, he's not pushing something on you that he wouldn't do on his own kids.

Best of luck!

- K. :)

yes, yes, yes! My son waso on antibiotics 9 times before he got his surgery at 19 months! From the time he got the surgery until now, we have been at the doctor only 1 time for his 2 year well-visit. He is happier, has better balance and best of all, has not been on antibiotics since. I wish we had done it sooner! good luck :)

My Daughter from 2 months of was getting chronic ear infections. She was the same way constantly living on antibiotics. At 6 months she had the tubes put in and never had an infection after that. She is now 4 and knock on wood we have never had an ear infection. The tubes came out by the time she was a year and a half. The surgery was quick and painless for her. By early afternoon on the day of surgery she was right back to normal like nothing happened.

Y.~

My daughter had tubes put in & her Adenoids removed back in 2007. The tubes lasted almost a year to the day when they pushed out on their own. I tell you it was the best thing for her. Like your son, my daughter was on antibiotics for what seemed to be 6 months straight, which is no good for them as well. I suggest you go see an Ear Nose & Throat doctor to determine your best course of action. It is a same day surgery with minimal discomfort after. The worst of it for my daughter was the waking up too soon and not seeing mommy there...Good Luck!

Hi Y.,

My daughter had tubes in her ears when she was 18 months old. The surgery itself went fine and was very quick. She is 6 years old now and hasn't had an ear infection since the surgery. The hardest part for me was the day of the surgery. They gave her something to make her drowsy and it was very hard to watch her (her eyes just glazed over and she stumbled all around the room). She also had a very hard time coming out of the anasthesia. She was crying and no one but my husband could calm her down. That was really the worst of it. Just prepare yourself.

Good luck and I hope everything works out!

I agree with Heather, my daughter had tubes put in this past July. Prior to than she had an ear infection literally every other week...she was all the way up to most potent antibiotics they could prescribe, which might I add she was allergic to. It was the best thing I could have ever done, within 24 hours she was a different person. No whining, no stuffiness, she was talking a lot more and it was amazing!! I would get them, you will see a huge difference!!

Definitely get the tubes! My daughter had 13 ear infections in her first 12 months of life-she basically lived on antibiotics. After we got the tubes she never had another ear infection. She lost her tubes some time around the age of three so she had them in for around 2 years before the fell out-to this day, she has been ear infection free. I can remember being nervous about the surgery and anesthesia but it all went so fast-I never even got a chance to sit down with a magazine and the surgeon was back telling me that she was in recovery! You will be so much happier knowing that he will not be sick anymore with this! Best of luck!

Hi! don't worry my son hand tubs put in 6 mo ago he was 6mos old. He had very very bad ear infections he had 8 in six mos and they all turned into breathing difficulty and we were diagnosed with asthma we tryed every antibiotic. we are much much better we have has 2 now in the last 6 mos with no breathing problems. Tubs DON'T stop the ear infections but help drain the fluid.

They do help as long as they are in. However, they do fall out, sometimes too soon. Good luck.

Hi Y.,
I had tubes put in my daughters ears when she was 11 months old....it was THE BEST thing I ever did for her...she had her first ear infection at 3 months and had at least 1 a month until we got the tubes put in....she is now 3 1/2 and one of the tubes has fallen out...during the summer when she went swimming she did get an ear infection in the ear that the tube fell out of, but other than that she has been free of ear infections...I totally recommend the tubes...you wont regret it!!
Meg

Yes, and they were fab. My daughter slept better, was no longer in pain, she was like a different child altogether. It was one of the best decisions we ever made. And the OP was no big deal, she was woozy for a few hours and that was it. I admit I cried the entire time she was in the OP, but that is my own personal way of letting off pressure, and I felt much better afterwards.

Hi. My son who is 17 months old just had a set of tubes put in on 10/5/09. My daughter also had her tonsils and adenoids out! (rough week) Anyhow, my son did great! It is a very simple procedure. They let you in the OR while they are being put under and by the time I went back in the holding room with my daughter the doc had come in to tell me he was done. It takes literally 5 min. They are a little cranky the first few hours after anesthesia but after a few naps they're fine. I'm glad to hear that you are proceding with the surgery. You can really mess with a child's hearing and their development of speech if it's not taken care of. My son, for instance had slight hearing loss from the ear infections and is doing much better now. I also work for an ENT and see this stuff everyday. Who is doing the surgery if you don't mind my asking?

The BEST thing we ever did. My son had his first set at 9 months and again at 18 months (because they fell out). The ear infections and constant antibiotics were horrible. He is so much happier and healthier since putting them in.

my daughter just had her in about 7 months ago she seems to be doing alot better no ear infections since they do help and the surgery is quick and she recovered with minamal complications i hope this helps if you want to chat about it my e-mail it ____@____.com email any time

R.

I had tubes in my ears when I was 2. Same deal- chronic ear infections, ruptured ear drums, tooth decay from the antibiotics- the tubes worked wonders! I had a couple of infections when I was in elementary school, but before the tubes I had them every 28 days.

Several friends have had tubes in their childrens' ears with great results. It's scary b/c it is surgery, but worth it in the long run!

I know many children who have had this procedure and all of them stopped with ear infections. Good Luck!

HI Y.,

Ear tubes do help many children. My son's ENT recommended them for my son because he had a horrible ear infection that almost landed him in the hospital. However, I made the very difficult decision to not place them in his ears as I was concerned about the anesthetic risk. Fortunately, my son turned out OK. IMO I find that many times children are referred for tubes becuase their doctor may not have been adequately treating the ear infections, therefore creating this idea that there is resistance when there really is not. Before considering tubes, I would make sure that your doctor is really treating your child's ear infections appropriately and not using the same stuff over and over. If you are all the way up to Ceftriaxone and/or Omnicef and your son still gets infections, then I would consider tubes more seriously. Good luck.

I wish I didn't have this experience:
but my daughter did get her tubes, what happened, and this doesn't happen often is, when one of her tubes fell out, the hole never closed, instead it kept opening, to the point that now it is 60 percent ruptured and in meantime she had a major ear infection during which her hearing bones (we don't know which, we have a surgery in january to repair the eardrum and look at hearing bones) got hurt so now my daughter has moderate hearing loss in that ear
like i said, it doesn't happen often but when it does happen it makes you regret the decision to put in tubes with every fiber of your being (we're at this point now)
if i were to do it all over again, i would have asked for low dose antibiotic every day for as long as it took or until my daughter outgrew her ear infections. i can't do it all over again unfortunately.
good luck

My son was on antibiotics for constant ear infections for the first year...when he would finish one the next week he would get another ear infection..sometimes double. We did the first set of tubes when he was 14 months...and no ear infections...quite the miracle and this made him so much happier - no fighting with the medicine...he could hear and he wasn't in pain and he was talking again - he had stopped as the ear infections increased. The tubes stayed in until he was 2 1/2 then they fell out on their own and guess what he had a double ear infection the week after they came out.

He had the t-tubes put in and they came out one on its own and the other taken out in the Dr.s office when he was 5. It was great...again no ear infections...I think he may have been on an antibiotic twice in almost 3 years. His hearing was tested with the tubes in and then when they came out and it was perfect. He could hear and talk clearly. The second set of tubes was harder to come out of the anestisa (sp) he also had his adnoids taken out then...but I would do it again. He is 7 now and no tubes and his ears have grown so the infections aren't a problem.
Good Luck.

Hi Y., my baby was extremely healthy for his first 1.5 years of life. He NEVER got sick and only went to the doctor for wellness visits. We moved to Texas and he got chronic ear infections every second. I am a Holistic Health Coach so I always knew that garlic oil was supposed to work. However, I was somewhat skeptical. Long story short, we did the antibiotic shot and gave him (my two year old)antibiotics for 10 days. It cleared up for one week and we were back in the emergency room in the middle of the night. the doctor told me that the infection was so bad that I had to go to a 24 hour pharmacy to get his antibiotics. I nodded yes, however, instead of going to get medicine, I went home and put the garlic ear oil in his ear. We have not been back to the doctor for any ear infections for almost a year now. IT REALLY WORKS. Here is a link for you:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-17146-Dallas-Womens-He...

You've gotten lots of advice. Good luck.

My daughter had tubes at 18 months and again at 3.5 years due to chronic infections due to fluid, which interfered with her hearing and speech. She hears much better now. The surgery was super quick... but is still stressful.

We tried the chiropractic route for about a month or two before her first surgery - but with no luck. In retrospect, I should have located a child-specific doctor and given it more time. A friend suggested we had not given it enough time - she said you'd need at least 6-8 weeks for anything to work.

Good luck.

Y.,
Go for it, when my son was 4mths old he started with the ear infections that even put him in the hospital, we waited for him to turn 1 and two days after his birthday he got them in. This was a godly invention! that was the end of all ear problems!!! They do work, and very well I might say. We never again had to take him to the doctor's office because of his ears. He is now 11 yrs old.
I.